


Collapse Into Me

by synkiller82



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Pillow & Blanket Forts, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2020-06-02 10:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 54,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19439935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synkiller82/pseuds/synkiller82
Summary: Adrien is finally ready to give up his feelings for Ladybug, but will there be another noirette in his future?  While Ladybug, Chat Noir, and all things superhero may be mentioned throughout the story, they will not be the main focus.





	1. Justify

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my story, Collapse Into Me. This story is the brain child of myself and Mireille to create two stories based on daily random words. I hope you enjoy the Adrienette fluff. The title is based of the following poem:
> 
> Collapse into me.  
> Just once.  
> I promise  
> you'll never have to  
> fall again.
> 
> Perry poetry

Adrien sighed as he fell onto his couch, his arm covering his eyes. The summer had been terrible. His schedule had been busier than normal, and Hawkmoth had decided to kick his game into overdrive, sending akumas every day. He was exhausted and looking forward to school starting again.

Thankfully, he had still been able to keep in touch with everyone, to help him keep his sanity. He and Nino had talked every day, about everything from new mixes Nino was working on to Adrien’s crush. He was hopelessly lost on what to do about Ladybug and sought out his friend for guidance.

With Nino’s help, Adrien began to realize that pursuing a relationship with Ladybug was pointless. What did he really know about her? Sure, she was beautiful, witty, good under pressure, and fiercely protective of those she loved and her city, but those were qualities he could attribute to any number of other people. He was in love with a façade, an illusion, just like his fans.

He sighed and turned his head toward his desk where Plagg was happily munching on a wheel of Camembert. “Hey, Plagg,” he called, causing the kwami to look up, “do you think I should give up on Ladybug?”

Plagg scarfed down the piece of cheese he had been nibbling on and floated to Adrien, landing on his chest - “Do you?”

“It’s been two years, Plagg. I don’t think I can justify my feelings for her anymore after all the rejections,” Adrien admitted.

“Then why are you asking me, Kit?” the kwami retorted. “It seems you have your answer.”

Adrien nodded, but he still looked like he was trying to figure out a puzzle with a few pieces missing. “How do I get over her though?”

As if the universe were trying to clue him, his phone chimed with an incoming message. He padded over to his desk to see Marinette’s name on the screen.

**M: Hey Adrien. I hope you are doing okay today. Sorry this is so late, but the bakery was crazy busy, so I just got to my room. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow at school.**

Adrien smiled at his phone. He and Marinette had been getting closer over the past year, and while he had found her stuttering endearing, he was glad that she was finally getting comfortable enough around him to speak normally.

**A: No problem, Marinette. Glad to hear business is going well, though I am not surprised. I can’t wait to see you either. Get some sleep. You don’t want to start this year with being tardy.**

He set his phone down and walked into his closet. They were starting high school, and he wanted to update his look. He heard his phone sound again as he pulled out a pair of dark khakis, a kelly green polo, and a pair of brown Doc Martens.

**M: I’ll try my best. Good night, Adrien.**

**A: Good night, Marinette.**

Marinette looked at her phone and sighed. She was so happy that she was becoming normal around Adrien. She had learned so much over the past year and had been able to take him off the perfect pedestal she had him on and bring him back down to a grade-A ‘dorkasaurus’. Sure, she still like-liked him, but the overwhelming intensity of her crush had been tempered by all the moments that had allowed her to see through to the real Adrien.

Her face grew pensive at her last thought. He always seemed on edge when he was out with them, almost as if he was worried that one false move would be grounds to cage him again. When he was safe behind closed doors, he would loosen up, cracking jokes-which consisted mostly of puns-and generally just seemed happier. She had a hunch that there was more going on with him than he let on, but she was afraid to ask. Most people didn’t like others poking around in their business, yet there was this tickling in the back of her mind, like a sixth sense she often felt when someone needed her help.

“Tikki,” she called as she looked over her outfit for tomorrow, “do you think something is going on with Adrien?”

“Why do you ask, Marinette?” Tikki replied from her spot on the cat body pillow.

“I just got this feeling when I’ve talked to him, and there have been times there was a sadness to his eyes or voice." Marinette rolled onto her back and looked out her skylight. "Nino has noticed it too.”

“Trust your instincts.” Her kwami advised as she floated in front of her, “If you think he might like to have someone to talk to, then tell him that you are willing. Let him do with that information what he will.”

She nuzzled her kwami, “I thought so, but I just wanted to make sure.” She stifled a yawn and crawled up to her bed, Tikki curling up on the cat pillow. “I have a feeling this will be the best school year yet. Good night, Tikki.”


	2. Refuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new school year starts and Marinette decides to take a leap of faith.

Marinette looked herself over in her mirror one more time. She watched as the blush pink knee length skirt of her dress swished around her legs, eyed how the white bodice with the white lace overlay hugged her torso and arms to her elbows. Pulling her hair into a simple bun, she smiled at her reflection. Tikki flew into her special pocket in her chosen’s messenger bag while Marinette slipped on her white low-heeled sandals, and walked downstairs to start the new year.

Marinette spied her friends in front of the school as she rounded the corner. Alya had switched her orange plaid overshirt for a deep purple blouse, her jeans and shoes staying the same. She had pulled her hair into a French braid, in hopes of taming the frizziness of it. Nino stood beside her, looking great in his white Henley with red sleeves, red and black headphones, black baseball cap, jeans and sneakers.

Alya ran to Marinette and almost knocked the noirette over in her excitement. She had been traveling with her parents most of the summer and had missed her bestie. Marinette happily returned Alya’s hug before moving to give Nino one. As the friends chatted about their summers, the familiar silver sedan pulled up and Adrien got out. The boy’s fist-bumped and he gave each of the girls a hug before they all walked in to find their homeroom.

The bell signaling lunch rang and the four friends started packing their supplies. Marinette motioned for Alya to go ahead and she nodded, grabbing Nino on her way out, calling back that they would find a spot in the courtyard.

Adrien chuckled at her antics, then noticed Marinette had yet to move from their shared bench. “Everything okay, Marinette?”

She looked back at him and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, “well, I actually wanted to talk to you for a moment, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, I can always spare some time for you, Marinette” he said, turning his full attention to her.

Marinette bit her lower lip and plunged in, “I just wanted to tell you that I’m glad we’ve become better friends over the past year or so. You are really special to me and if you ever need to talk to someone about anything, that I’m here for you.”

“I’m really happy about things too, Marinette. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you always looking out for me, but really, I’m fine.”

Marinette placed a hand on his arm, “you are not fine, though you want everyone, and maybe even yourself, to believe it.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, “you could tell?” She nodded and he sighed, “that’s nice of you to offer, Marinette, but I don’t want to burden you with my problems.”

“Adrien,” Marinette shook her head, “you aren’t going to burden or pester me with them. Everyone goes through things and I refuse to let you go through yours alone. Okay?”

Adrien nodded, a little taken back by the firmness in her tone. He was used to hearing it focused on others, but never at him. “Okay. Thanks, Marinette. I might take you up on that.”

Marinette smiled at him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out the door to find their friends. As they sat with Alya and Nino, Adrien couldn’t help by sneak glances at the girl sitting next to him. Maybe Kagami was right. Maybe he has found his new target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!


	3. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is feeling better about life and Marinette is being Sneaky-nette

Plagg smirked as he watched his charge moved about the room humming to himself. “What’re you smiling for?”

“I’m just in a good mood,” Adrien retorted as he got dressed for the day in a navy blue polo, light khakis, and his brown Doc Martens.

“It wouldn’t happen to be because of Baker Girl, would it?”

“It is,” Adrien answered as he brushed his hair. “She has been really helpful lately. Even though we haven’t talked about any of the important problems, it is still nice to have someone who is willing to listen without telling me that my feelings don’t matter or that I’m being too dramatic. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

“Sure, Kit,” Plagg snarked as he curled up in Adrien’s bag for a nap, “you keep telling yourself that.”

Adrien rolled his eyes at his kwami as he went downstairs for breakfast. It was true that Marinette was the greatest friend he could ask for. He also couldn’t deny that he sometimes thought about her as more than a friend, but he would always quickly stomp out those thoughts. He had learned his lesson from Ladybug and wanted to make sure of their feelings for each other before he allowed himself to think of her as anything other than a friend.

\---------

Marinette got to school to find everyone already seated in homeroom, except Adrien. By some form of luck, their collège homeroom class stayed the same when they graduated to lycée and Lila moved to America with her mother. Marinette noted Chloe sitting at her spot with a look of excitement in her eyes. The mayor’s daughter had turned over a new leaf the past few years, and Marinette, for one, was enthusiastic about the change. 

Smiling warmly, Marinette stood at the front of the room and asked for everyone’s attention.

“Alright everyone, quiet down. We have something important to discuss, and we have to do it quickly.” She looked over at the door where Nino was leaning against the hallway wall as a lookout. “Now, Adrien’s birthday is two weeks from today and his father isn’t letting him celebrate it, _again_.” The class groaned, and some colorful language rang out, mostly from the boy in the hall. “Calm down. I have already spoken to Mr. Durand and we are welcome to set up a party in here after lunch that day to surprise him.”

“That’s awesome!” Kim cheered from his seat, with the class echoing his sentiment. “Just tell us what you need, Marinette.” 

The girl in question smiled widely and started handing out assignments. As she gave out the final one, Nino pushed off the wall and disappeared down the hall.

“Quiet down,” Alya hissed, “Adrien coming!” The class took their seats and were speaking quietly amongst themselves when the boys entered. Adrien took his seat next to Marinette, waving to her before leaning over to Nino in the row in front of them. He made some final remarks about a song Nino had played for him in the hall as the bell rang.

\------

“So,” Alya started as she sat with Marinette, Alex, Rose, Juleka, Chloe, and Sabrina at a picnic table for lunch. “I heard everyone else get assigned a task for this little plan of yours, but I never heard what you’re doing, Marinette.”

She answered without looking up from her plate, “I’m supplying the food, of course.”

Alya rolled her eyes and Rose cooed about how yummy the food would be.

Alya nudged Marinette with her foot. “Is there any reason you’re going all out for his birthday this year?”

Marinette’s cheeks tinged pink and the girls all giggled. “It’s his 16th birthday,” she mumbled.

“I think it’s romantic,” Rose trilled as she sighed whimsically.

“Does it really matter why?” Chloe scoffed. “Adrien will be happy and that’s the important part.” The group nodded their agreement, and the topic turned to other things.

Marinette’s mind wandered as the conversation went on around her. Sure, it would be nice if Adrien noticed how much he meant to her, but that wasn’t why she was planning the party. She was doing it for the same reason she brought baked goods for everyone's birthday—because she cared for them and wanted them to feel special. Was she going a bit overboard for him? Maybe…but after listening to what Adrien told her this past week, she really wanted to make his birthday special.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you liking it so far? Let me know in the comments section! Until tomorrow!


	4. Admire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets a surprise and gives one as well.

Two weeks passed, and the day of their surprise party had arrived. After Chloe dragged Adrien off to her limo for lunch, the class got started. Marinette and Alya ran back to the bakery to grab the food Marinette and her parents had prepared. Nino and Max were setting up the stereo equipment, while the rest of the class was decorating the room.

Marinette’s phone chimed with a message from Chloe, alerting her that Adrien was outside the school. The lights were turned off and everyone hid just in time to hear Chloe’s overly loud voice in the hall. As Adrien entered the room, he was greeted with cheers from his classmates.

“Wow, what’s all this?” he asked as he stepped inside, taking in the room’s transformation.

“It’s your party, dude,” Nino answered as he started the music, “Happy 16th birthday!”

\-----

As things were winding down, Adrien walked up to Nino. “Hey, Nino, I wanted to thank you for throwing this together.”

“Wasn’t me, bro,” Nino answered as he changed songs - “All the credit goes to my best dudette in pink over there.”

Adrien followed Nino’s line of sight and landed on Marinette, who was speaking with Alya. Nodding his understanding at Nino, Adrien made his way over to the girls.

“Hey, Marinette,” he said as he walked up, “I was hoping to talk to you for a moment.”

“I’ll go check to see if Nino needs anything,” Alya commented, turning to leave the two, but not before she winked at Marinette.

“Enjoying your party, Adrien?” Marinette asked as she watched her friend’s retreating back.

“I really am. This party is fantastic,” Adrien smiled at her, “and I hear you’re the one I have to thank for it.”

“You’re welcome,” Marinette said bashfully as her cheeks flushed pink. “I just didn’t want you to be sad on your birthday. I didn’t really do anything, though. I supplied the idea and food. Your friends did the rest.”

“Well, thanks anyway.” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “By the way, I was wondering if you might be free tomorrow? I have a fencing tournament and I thought you might like to come watch the team.”

“I would like that. Let me just check with my parents tonight and I’ll text you. Okay?”

“I’ll be waiting for it.” Adrien waved as the bell rang, and he ran off to help Nino pack up the gifts for him to take home. He had a bounce in his step as he walked into the manor and he didn’t care who saw. Between his party this afternoon and Marinette tentatively accepting his invitation to watch him at the fencing tournament, this was turning out to be one of the best days of his life.

\------

Adrien was sitting at his desk finishing up his homework when his music was interrupted by Marinette’s notification tone.

**M: Hey Adrien. My parents wanted to know the details about the tournament, since I forgot to ask like a doofus.**

**A: No problem, Marinette. It’s being held at Françoise Dupont starting at 10am. My division won’t be on the floor until about 1pm.**

The phone went quiet for a bit, during which time Adrien assumed she was relaying the information to her parents and they were discussing it.

**M: What time will it be over?**

**A: No later than 4.**

Another pause for dramatic effect.

**M: Dad wants to know if you’re free after the tournament. He’s making a few different passion fruit recipes and he is excited to have us try them.**

**A: I am and I would never turn down an invitation to your house. Tell your father I would be honored to test anything made by your parents.**

**M: Great. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Good night, Adrien.**

**A: Good night, Marinette.**

\---

Marinette jolted out of bed when her alarm went off the next morning. She had been up way too late figuring out the perfect outfit to wear today. She grumpily trudged down the two flights of stairs to get to the bathroom for a wake-up shower.

She finished in the bathroom and felt much better about being up this early. She had opted for a maroon tunic dress with a black belt, black tights, and black ankle booties with metal studs around the top. She had a black leather jacket with silver studs waiting for her in her room along with a fall inspired multi-colored scarf. With her hair in a messy bun and her make-up on point, she was ready to take on the day.

An hour later, she was seated in the bleachers, watching the younger students face off. She was so engrossed in watching the current pair that she missed someone sitting next to her.

“Good morning, Marinette. Is that a new design I see?”

She turned to see Adrien sitting next to her, already in his fencing uniform minus the helmet. “It is. Do you like it?”

“Like it? Marinette, I love everything you design! I have to say, I admire your talent.”

Marinette’s cheeks were dusted with a light shade of pink. “Thank you. I admire your fencing skills as well. I don’t think there is anyone who can best you out there.”

“You think so?” He asked sheepishly, his own cheeks gaining a rosy hue. “There is some really stiff competition today.”

“Adrien Agreste,” Marinette chided. “Have some confidence in yourself! You are a fantastic fencer and as long as you do your best, you will have nothing to worry about.”

He blinked at her, then smiled. “Thanks, Marinette. To be honest, I’ve been nervous since I got up today.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “It’s comforting to know you are out here supporting me. I’m sure I can’t lose with you watching.” He threw in a wink for emphasis.

Marinette was sure her face matched her dress at his words. “You’re welcome, Adrien. What are friends for?”

They turned to watch some more of the tournament, Adrien explaining things when Marinette asked. Mostly, they just enjoyed each other’s company until it was time for Adrien to get ready for his first match of the day. Before he left, he handed Marinette her lucky charm back to hold for him. He couldn’t have it on the tournament floor, so he thought it would be better for her to hold it than for it to be stuck in his bag.

Marinette took the charm gingerly in her hand before grasping it tightly. She spent the rest of her day watching Adrien win every match, and qualifying to move on to the next tournament. After he showered and emerged from the locker room, she wasted no time giving him back his lucky charm, which he put back into his front pocket.

The friends walked the short distance to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, chatting about the tournament and what will happen next. Sabine greeted the teens warmly as they made their way through the bakery and into the kitchen where Tom was pulling a batch of bread from one of the ovens. He motioned with his head to a table covered in pies, cakes, puddings, and macarons. 

"Hello, kids." He called out. "Feel free to dig in and let me know what you think." Marinette walked up and kissed her father's cheek while Adrien politely thanked him.

Marinette handed Adrien a plate and they filled them before heading up to her room to sample everything. Adrien was in heaven with all the passion fruit goodness in front of him and he happily tried everything. Once they finished their snack, and Adrien helped Marinette with some of the homework she was having trouble with, they headed back downstairs to relay their findings to Tom. They both agreed that the macarons and panna cotta were their favorites, but everything was wonderful. Adrien thanked the Dupain-Chengs for the treats and allowing Marinette to attend the tournament before he left. He fell into his bed exhausted, but happy.


	5. Dazzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a conversation with Alya

“Did you see the latest akuma attack?” Alya rambled as she sat up from Marinette’s chaise lounge. “Ladybug was AMAZING! Chat Noir was great too, but the way she used her lucky charm this time—”

Marinette tuned out her friend’s rambling as she continued to sketch in her notepad. She loved Alya like a sister, but she wasn’t in the mood to listen to a play-by-play of her latest victory of Hawkmoth. Alya had asked her to design her Winter Formal dress, and Marinette knew she needed to get started now if she had any hope of making three or four outfits before the dance.

“What are you working on over there?” Alya sighed and shook her head as she realized her friend wasn’t listening. She lay on her stomach and peeked over Marinette’s shoulder to see four outfits, two male and two female, completed on the page. Marinette was finishing the suit of a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Adrien. “So, what kind of suit are you thinking of, hmm?”

“Well,” Marinette answered without looking up. “Since this is for the Winter Formal, I would use a warmer fabric. I would love to use Cashmere, but it’s REALLY expensive. I’m sure I can get a blend that will look just as good.” She picked up her alcohol markers and began to color the completed sketches. “I’m thinking a light grey, fitted two-button suit that shimmers in the right light, paired with a white dress shirt and midnight blue vest and tie. That way our ensembles would complement instead of matching.”

“So, he’s asked you to go?” Alya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not yet.” Marinette answered without looking up, focusing on the complementing dress. “If he doesn’t the colors could always be changed. He would look just as great in a black suit with a white or green shirt and silver accessories.” She sighed, sat up, and put down her marker. “Who am I kidding? He’s not going to ask me to go with him.”

“You never know, Marinette.” Alya slid to the floor next to her friend to rub her back. “You two have become a lot closer over the past month or so. Maybe he will ask you.”

Marinette shrugged, but didn’t reply. While she was hoping that Adrien would ask her to the dance, she was having to remind herself that they were nothing more than close friends and he had plenty of more suitable options for a date, such as Chloe or Kagami.

“What’s going on in there, girl?” Alya asked, pulling Marinette from her thoughts. “I know that look. Tell me what you are thinking.”

Marinette flopped onto her back, arms and legs spread out. “I just don’t know why I keep doing this to myself, Alya. I don’t think I’ll ever make it out of the friend-zone, but my heart won’t stop wanting more.”

“I thought you said you were over your crush.” Alya interjected.

“I am.” Marinette assured as she continued to stare at the ceiling. “I’m not going to stalk him anymore or memorize every little thing about him. I understand now just how crazy and creepy I was acting over the past two years.” She propped up on her elbows to look at her friend. “However, I still have feelings for him. I want to make sure he smiles every day, because his dazzling, genuine smile makes the world a brighter place. I want to be the person who makes him laugh, to hold him when he cries, and to lift him up when he is low. I want to enjoy all the little moments of life with him.”

“Why haven’t you told him all of that?” Alya prompted, curious to know the answer herself.

Marinette groaned and fell back to the floor. “I am pretty sure his father wouldn’t approve of a simple baker’s daughter. While my parents’ business is successful, we are not among the wealthy and elite. We both know Adrien will marry someone of his own social circle if his father has anything to say.” She sighed heavily. “With all of that, it’s better that I just keep my feelings to myself. I don’t need to add to his already stressful life. I’m really happy with what we have.”

Alya shook her head. She was sure that Adrien had feelings for Marinette, even if he wasn’t aware of them yet. “Well, I think that anything is possible, girl. You just need to keep your head up and continue to show him who the real Marinette is. I’m sure he’ll fall for you eventually.”

Marinette sat up and smiled at her friend. “Thanks, Alya.”

“However, this does lead to something else,” Alya stated. “What about Luka?”

Marinette’s face fell. “Alya!” she groaned out. “What about him?”

“We all know your compass has been going crazy for him too.” Alya stated matter-of-factly. “Not to mention the things he has said to you. When you told me about his declaration at the TV station before he performed a few years ago, I thought I was going to melt into a puddle. He likes you girl and you have left him hanging.”

“I have not!” Marinette countered as she crossed her arms and pouted. “I talked to him a little while after that and told him that I couldn’t return his feelings, but that they were appreciated.”

“And what did he say to that?” Alya mirrored her friends pose, upset that this was the first time she had heard about this.

“He said that he didn’t care. That the song he heard was still mine and would continue to be.” Marinette shrugged. “I still don’t know what to do with that, so I let it die and we have become friends as well.”

“Oh, Marinette.” Alya sighed as she placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You are going to have to do something soon or this could blow up in your face.”

“What else should I do, Alya? I told Luka I couldn’t return his feelings. It’s not my fault if he won’t.”

“Please be honest with yourself. You still have feelings for him as well, but you won’t let them in because of the Adrien-shaped spot in your heart.”

Marinette opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again and nodded. She couldn’t argue when her friend was right.

“Exactly. Luka is a very perceptive person. I’m sure he knows you still hold a candle for him and, if I were him, I would be acting on it before it gets snuffed out by someone else.”

Alya’s words rocked Marinette to the core. It had never occurred to her that Luka would act on anything. He was always so gentle and passive. Would he really be bold enough to proclaim his feelings again, still knowing there was a chance at rejection?

Marinette shook her head. These were thoughts and problems for her and Tikki to work through. For now, she just wanted to hang out with her best friend and enjoy their time together. However, Hawkmoth had other plans. Marinette and Alya gasped as the house shook and a loud roar was heard.

“No WAY!” Alya squealed as she leapt up and grabbed her stuff. “Sorry, girl, gotta go! The Ladyblog needs me!”

Marinette shook her head and watched as her friend took off toward the latest akuma. Once she was sure she was alone, she transformed and headed off to fulfill her duties as Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is enjoying thus far. Tomorrow will see Adrien's side of things. ;-)


	6. Swing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Nino have a chat about things.

“Nino,” Adrien whined as he flopped onto his friend’s bed, “what am I going to do?”

“I would be better able to answer if I knew what we were talking about, Bro.” Nino countered as he sat down in the bean bag chair.

“About Marinette.” Adrien stated as if it should be obvious. “I’m so confused about everything.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m your best bud.” Nino playfully smacked Adrien on the leg. “Talk through it, Dude. Things will make more sense.”

“I like Marinette.” Adrien admitted. “She’s smart, witty, strong, supportive, beautiful—the list goes on, man. Problem is, these are the same words I would use to describe Ladybug. I feel like I’ve just transferred my crush from Ladybug to Marinette.”

“So, you think the only reason you like Marinette is because she reminds you of Ladybug?”

“No,” Adrien waved his hands out in front of him frantically, then stopped. “Maybe? I don’t know.”

“Let me ask you this,” Nino started, looking his friend in the eye, “if you hadn’t fallen head over heels for Ladybug, could you have seen Marinette as more than a friend?”

Adrien took a moment to think about Nino’s question. He thought back to the day they met. The fire in her eyes when she thought he had put the gum on her seat. The softness in them when she realized she had made a mistake. Adrien remembered a clap of thunder as their hands touched when he offered the umbrella, which accidentally closed on her, and caused her to quietly giggle. He thought about all the times he had been impressed with her since that day, each one building on the foundation of that first meeting.

“I don’t think I could have, Nino. I know I would have. She’s everything that I could ever ask for.” He sighed and rubbed his neck. “I guess I’m just scared of being rejected. She doesn’t know what she would be getting into if she dated me, ya know?”

“Not really, Dude.” Nino admitted, moving to sit on the bed next to Adrien. “You are a great guy and she would be just as lucky to date you as you would be to date her.”

“If she wants to deal with all the baggage.” Adrien muttered under his breath, causing a raised eyebrow from Nino. “Oh, come on, Nino. Seriously? Ok, taking out the whole ‘trying to get over Ladybug’ issue, she would have to deal with the media and the fans. Not to mention my father and his ridiculous demands of me, which I’m sure would transfer to her too. All of that would hinge on my father even _allowing_ me to date her.” Adrien groaned and covered his face. “That’s just the tip of the Adrien Agreste iceberg. There are deeper problems underneath the surface.”

“You need to chill, Bro. I’m sure your pops would like her. I mean, he already knows about her from the derby competition. An aspiring designer might be a good choice for you in his mind. As for the media and fans, I think she handled herself well that day you two ran all over Paris.” Both teens chuckled at the memories from that day. “So, that only leaves the underlaying problems, which I’m sure she would face head on with you.”

Adrien sat up and leaned his head on his friend’s shoulder. “You’re right. Though I’m trying to figure out when your opinion of my father changed.”

“Dude, I still think he’s a piece of work and I would love to give him a piece of my mind.” He heard Adrien chuckle. “I just think that if anyone can impress your dad, it’s Marinette.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Nino spoke again. “So, feeling better?”

“A little.” Adrien admitted. “Can I ask you for one more piece of advice?” He felt Nino nod his head. “You know that I don’t get the affection most people get from their parents since my mom disappeared, and I’m grateful that you aren’t weirded out by something like what we are doing now. Do you think Marinette would be okay with it too? I held her hand at the fencing tournament yesterday and she didn’t seem to mind that, but I don’t want her to get the wrong idea about it.”

“Adrien, listen to me.” Adrien sat up and looked at Nino. It wasn’t often he used Adrien’s name. “That girl would jump off the Eiffel Tower if she knew it would help her friends. If you explain things to her, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. I know I don’t.”

“Thanks, Nino. I really needed this.” Adrien fist bumped his best friend and was about to ask if they could play video games when a blur of red and black swung past Nino’s window. Adrien stood up and grabbed his bag as he heard Nino’s phone go off. “Hey, sorry to mope and run, but I forgot I have a piano lesson in a few. We’ll hang out later and actually play some Mecha Strike, okay?”

“Sure, Bro. I understand. Besides, I have to go make sure Alya doesn’t get herself killed.” Nino grabbed his coat and walked Adrien outside. After making sure he was alone, Adrien ran over to an alley to transform.

As he made his way toward the akuma, Adrien made the mental note to talk to Marinette tomorrow at the picnic they were having after school with Nino and Alya. While this was a large request and required him to really open up about his home life, he felt he could trust Marinette. He had seen first-hand the what Marinette would be willing to do for her friends. He just hoped she didn’t leave him because of it. He was tired of people leaving. 

Chat dropped into the fight, putting his internal debate on the back burner. That was a problem for Adrien Agreste. Right now, he had to focus on being Chat Noir and help Ladybug with taking down this latest menace to Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick notes:
> 
> All Hail Nino, the best bud. He is such an awesome friend to have.
> 
> Some people may not agree with the way I took Adrien here. My thought is this: I believe that Emilie was a kind, loving mother who would hand out hugs and encouragement to Adrien all the time. To go from having a loving, involved parent to only having Gabriel would be a huge shock and not something that would be easy for Adrien to handle. Some people are very tactile and after thinking about it, I think Adrien would be one of those people. Nino would be supportive of this, but I think he would put some limits to it, especially once he starts dating Alya.
> 
> Now, get ready for the picnic tomorrow. Until then!


	7. Linen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien walks Marinette to school. Then some questions and the picnic ends in a bang.

Adrien stood in front of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery Monday morning. He missed Marinette, and was hoping to walk with her to school. However, he was still a ball of nerves about the conversation he was supposed to have with her, and wasn’t sure he could speak to her without possibly blurting something out. _Maybe I should just wait at school. I’m going to talk to her during the day and at the picnic anyway,_ Adrien thought.

“Hey, Kit,” Plagg whispered from Adrien’s pocket. “You’re blocking the door.”

Adrien sighed as he opened the door, and stepped inside. “Good morning, Mrs. Cheng,” he greeted warmly as he unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a white collared shirt under a light blue Cashmere v neck sweater, that he paired with navy slacks and brown Doc Martens.

Sabine looked up from the tray of croissants she was refilling after the morning rush. “Good morning, Adrien. How are you, dear?”

Before Adrien could answer, a booming voice was heard from the back. “Is that young Adrien I hear?” Tom stepped out of the kitchen area, wiping his hands on the towel tucked into the tie of his apron. “To what do we owe the pleasure, my boy?”

Adrien shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously, “I was hoping to walk Marinette to school this morning, Mr. Dupain.”

“How very thoughtful of you. I’ll go up and get her.” Sabine replied, and made her way to the apartment above.

\---

“Marinette, Adrien is waiting downstairs to walk you to school.” Sabine called as she opened the trap door.

“Adrien?” Marinette squeaked as she fell out of bed. Groaning, she got back up and proceeded to break the land speed record for a teenage girl getting ready for school.

Within twenty minutes, she was dressed in a powder blue cowl neck sweater, navy blue pleated skirt, black tights, and light brown knee-high boots. She left her hair down, falling just below her shoulders in soft waves. She snatched her bag and coat from her chaise lounge and darted downstairs to greet her guest.

\-------

Adrien was sitting at a table, happily eating the almond croissant, when he saw Sabine come back through the kitchen door. “Is everything okay? I thought I heard something.”

“Everything is fine, dear.” Sabine assured him. “Marinette will be down in a moment.”

A few minutes later, Marinette came barreling through the kitchen door, stopping short of crashing into her mother. “Good morning, Maman. Good morning, Papa,” she greeted as she hugged each in turn.

She turned to greet Adrien and her words caught, as did her breath. She looked at him, then down at herself, then back at him. Her cheeks flushed as she cleared her throat, and tried to speak again. “G-Good morning, Adrien. What are, I mean--How are you this morning?”

Adrien watched Marinette for a moment before realizing they were wearing matching outfits and he felt like his cheeks matched hers as well. He smiled. “Morning, Marinette. I’m fine. You?”

“I’m wonderful.” Marinette answered as she gained her composure back. She crossed the bakery and wrapped him in a tight hug before pulling away. “Shall we go?”

Adrien nodded and picked up his bag. After thanking Tom and Sabine for their hospitality and food, he held the door for Marinette. Once they were outside, he offered his arm to her, and, after a moment of hesitation, she linked her arm in his.

“Are you sure you are okay? You seem tense this morning.” Marinette noted as they reached the crosswalk.

“I, uh,” Adrien began as the light changed, allowing them to cross. “Well, there is something, but I don’t have time to talk about before school. Can we talk about it later?”

“Okay,” Marinette acquiesced. “Can I know when ‘later’ will be?”

Adrien reached up to his neck. “I was hoping I could talk to you at the picnic.”

Marinette eyed him for a moment. “Alright, but I’m still going to worry until then.”

“I promise it’s nothing bad.” Adrien said, trying to help his case. Marinette nodded and squeezed his elbow before she let go to walk to her locker. He immediately missed the warmth of their linked arms, but tried not to let it bother him as he made his way to his locker.

\---

Adrien grabbed Nino as the bell rang for lunch. “Can I talk to you for a minute before we join the girls?”

Alya raised an eyebrow, but Marinette skillfully manipulated Alya into going with her. Adrien made a mental note to thank Marinette later.

“What did you need, Bro?” Nino asked. “Does it have anything to do with you walking Marinette to school this morning arm-in-arm?”

“Kind of.” Adrien answered, his cheeks gaining a rosy hue. “I want to talk to her today at the picnic. Do you think you could—”

“Say no more.” Nino clapped a hand on Adrien’s shoulder and steered him out the door. “You just say the word. I’ll make sure Alya and I vacate post haste.”

“Thanks, Nino. You’re the best.” Adrien said as he gripped Nino’s shoulder as well. He couldn’t ask for a better wingman.

\---

“Girl!” Alya whisper-screamed when she and Marinette got to the table and sat down. “What was that this morning?”

“What was what?” Marinette asked as she took a bite of her lunch. She was starving since she forgot to grab breakfast in her mad rush to get ready this morning.

“Walking in with Adrien like that! If I didn’t know any better, girl, I would say you two were dating.”

“Alya, please.” Marinette’s cheeks tinged pink. “He stopped by to walk me to school and, since he is a gentleman, he offered his arm. It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?!” Alya repeated, exasperated and surprised by her friend’s reaction. “Who are you and what have you done with Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

“I told you, I’m done fawning over every little move or touch, and I’m absolutely done with reading more into the situation than there is.”

Alya opened her mouth to counter the argument, but she spotted the boys headed their way and decided to drop it, for now.

\---

“Alya, can you go to the closet and grab the picnic blanket?” Marinette asked as she packed the basket full of goodies for their picnic.

“Which one?” Alya called from the hallway, where she stood at the linen closet.

“The one with the plastic on the back. It’s was raining yesterday, so the ground may still be wet.”

“Got it!” Alya yelled triumphantly, holding out the red and white checkered fabric. With that found, the girl’s headed downstairs and over to the Place des Vosges to set up while they waited for the boys to join them after Adrien’s fencing practice ended.

“Alright, back to our earlier conversation.” Alya watched as Marinette tensed. “You can’t tell me you weren’t squealing like a school girl on the inside when you took his arm earlier.”

“Maybe a little,” Marinette admitted. “I told you yesterday I still have feelings for him, and it was nice to be treated like a lady.” Alya opened her mouth for what Marinette was sure to be an ‘I told you so,’ and cut her off. “However, I also said that I wasn’t going to act on or tell him about those feelings. He needs a friend right now.”

“Fine.” Alya yielded reluctantly. 

The two fell into a quiet conversation about a project they had been assigned earlier that day until Nino and Adrien appeared at the entrance of the park. Once the boys had sat down, the four spent about an hour enjoying the afternoon and treats, until the boys noticed the clouds and decided it was a good time to execute their plan.

“Hey, Alya. I have to babysit my brother last minute. You want to keep me company?” Nino asked as he stood.

“Sure, Nino.” Alya answered. She stood and eyed the other two party members. “Will you two be okay by yourselves?”

“Seriously, Alya.” Marinette rolled her eyes at her friend. “We’ll be just fine.”

Nino and Alya said their goodbyes. It wasn’t long before Marinette and Adrien heard thunder closing in on them.

“Maybe we should go too,” Adrien suggested as he helped Marinette pack up. “It sounds like the storm is moving in.”

“Yeah. I would hate—” Marinette’s sentence was interrupted by a loud crash followed by the sky opening up.

Adrien grabbed the blanket off the ground and threw it above them, creating a make shift shelter. It wouldn’t hold up for long against the downpour, but it was better than nothing.

“I can’t believe neither of us thought to bring an umbrella.” Adrien remarked as they made their way to the bakery, since it was closer.

“I forgot to look at the weather,” Marinette confessed, huddling closer to Adrien to stay dry.

It didn’t take long for the teens to get to the shelter of the bakery, but it was enough time for them to get drenched. Sabine helped towel them off, then sent them upstairs to change. Marinette showed Adrien where the bathroom was so he could warm up in the shower while she went to her room to find some clothes that she had made for him.

Adrien finished up his shower and went upstairs to find Marinette. She quickly took a warm shower and got dressed. Heading to the laundry room, she put their wet clothes in the dryer before returning to her room. The two teens took a look at each other and started laughing. Marinette hadn’t been paying much attention when she was gathering clothes and only now realized she had pulled out the matching Ladybug and Chat Noir onesies she had made for them.

“I didn’t know you were a Ladybug and Chat Noir fan, Marinette.” Adrien said through his giggles.

“Who isn’t?” Marinette retorted, pulling the black hood over his head. He retaliated by tugging one of the cat ears on her hood.

“So, I’m guessing you like Chat better?” Adrien was curious as to why she made the Chat onesie foe herself and the Ladybug for him. Did she really like his alter ego that much? It hadn’t felt that way the few times he had asked her about it.

“It’s not that I like Chat better,” she started, playing with the tail attached to the back of her onesie. “I was already planning on making you the Ladybug onesie, because I know you are such a fan of her. Since Ladybug and Chat Noir are a team, I thought I would make a matching Chat for myself.” She paused to eye him up and down. “Your look great on yours!”

Adrien cringed internally at the mention of his Ladybug obsession. If only Marinette knew the depths of the feelings he was trying to rid himself of. While he loved the outfit because it was made by Marinette, he couldn’t help but feel a little sad wearing it. He would cherish it anyway, and hopefully in time those negative feelings would subside.

“You think so, do you?” Adrien grinned, striking a pose and wiggling his eyebrows at her. He continued to pose while Marinette laughed. “I think it would look even better if my partner were up here with me.”

Before she could protest, Adrien pulled her to her feet and moved her into a Charlie’s Angels pose. He leaned against her back and struck a mirrored pose. After a second, he felt her hand on his shoulder as she turned him to face her. She reached for his hand, bowing to lay a kiss on his knuckles. Her eyes caught his just as they realized what had just happened, and they both flushed crimson as she dropped his hand like it had burned her. She opened her mouth to apologize when another loud clap of thunder sounded and the lights went out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter to date at exactly 2000 words. The next one hit that mark as well. Sorry for these longer chapters, but dialog and heart-to-heart chats take a lot of words! Tomorrow we will see what happens the night the lights went out in Paris (who gets the reference? comment below)


	8. furtive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the storm rages on while Marinette and Adrien talk

Marinette quickly opened one of her desk drawers and pulled out tealight candles and matches. Her room was soon suffused with a warm glow as she placed the lit candles throughout the space. “At least we can see now.”

Adrien pulled his cell phone out to alert Nathalie of the development and ask if he should just stay at Marinette’s until the weather cleared. He got a text back almost immediately telling him to stay safe, however Viktor would be there at 10 pm to pick him up. Adrien sighed and set an alarm before dropping his phone into one of the handy pockets in his onesie.

“Was that Nathalie?” Marinette asked as she sat down on the chaise longue.

“Yes. She told me to be safe and informed me that my driver will be arriving at 10 p.m. to pick me up.” Adrien sighed again as he flopped down next to her.

“That still gives us time to hang out. I’m surprised you’re getting to stay at all, considering how strict your father is.” Marinette took a furtive glance at her seatmate before continuing. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Adrien answered, his stomach already in knots from the reminder about the tight leash he was on.

“Does your father not like Nino, Alya, and me? I mean, we invite you to things all the time, but it always seems like he puts more on top of your already busy schedule so you can’t go out.”

“I know he doesn’t like Nino, but he has no problems with you or Alya, to my knowledge.” He thought for another moment. “I think it’s more about the media and fans that we have to watch for.”

Marinette nodded, a pensive look on her face. Suddenly, she shot up and ran for her closet. Adrien watched curiously as she mumbled under her breath and threw things around. Eventually she made a triumphant sound and emerged with something in her hands. She walked back over to the chaise longue, reached up, and pulled something over Adrien’s hair.

“There!” She waved him toward her vanity mirror. “A pair of sunglasses and you’re all set.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow but walked over to the vanity. His hair was completely covered by a baby blue beanie. He smiled at her ingenuity, but quickly frowned when he felt the fabric as he removed it. It was identical to the scarf that he received for his birthday two years ago.

“This is fantastic, Marinette.” He looked her in the eyes. “It matches my scarf.”

A look of panic overtook Marinette’s face as her eyes darted everywhere but him. “R-Really? What a coincidence?”

“Marinette,” Adrien called softly, sitting back down beside her and taking her hands in his. “You made that scarf, didn’t you?” She nodded and hung her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You looked so happy when you came to school the next day, I didn’t have the heart to tell you that I made it. After a while, I didn’t think it would matter anymore.”

Adrien pulled Marinette into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. I should have known better than to think my father cared enough to get something that special.”

Marinette rubbed his back in soothing circles. “All is forgiven. No need to be upset.” After a few minutes, she pulled away slightly. “I’m getting hungry. How about I run down and grab some food and drinks?”

Adrien nodded and Marinette went downstairs to find refreshments. She returned quickly with two cups of hot cocoa and an assortment of pastries. “Sorry it’s not much, but with the power out, we can’t cook.”

Adrien took the plate from her and placed it between them, before reaching for his cup of cocoa. “This is great, thank you.”

They ate for a while before Marinette once again broke the silence that had fallen around them. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Adrien looked at her quizzically and she wondered if she should press the issue, but her curiosity got the best of her. “You said you would tell me at the picnic about something.”

“Oh, yeah.” Adrien face crumbled at the mention of the talk. He had been hoping she had forgotten with everything else that had happened, but he should’ve known better. “Well, it’s kinda long and a little embarrassing.”

“We still have a few hours and I promise not to laugh,” Marinette stated with a smile, her hand held in the air.

Adrien ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. You know that my mother isn’t around anymore, right?” He glimpsed over at her as she nodded. “When she was around, she used to give me hugs all the time and we held hands everywhere we went. I guess that’s pretty normal parent behavior, but it was special to me because my father never did those things.”

Adrien stopped to take a slow breath, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. “Sorry.” He muttered.

“it’s okay. Hold on.” Marinette got up and went over to her other closet, returning with a large quilt. She wrapped Adrien up in it before straddling him on the chaise and pulling him down to cuddle against her. “Blanket burrito. A proven Marinette Dupain-Cheng cure for sadness and other ailments of the heart. Is this okay? We can rearrange if you’re uncomfortable.”

Adrien nodded his head vigorously. He didn’t want to admit that this was exactly what he needed at that moment. Someone to hold him, to make him feel wanted and protected. “This is great. Thanks,” he whispered.

She nodded as she rubbed his back in soothing circles. “Continue when you’re ready, or you can stop. You know you don’t have to push yourself. Talk about things at your own pace.”

He drew a shaky breath. “When she left, it was like she took all the love and happiness with her. I know my father loves me, but he doesn’t show it the same way my mother did, and I miss it. I miss being held while I cried or was scared, the random head rubs and hugs, and the comfort of her hand holding mine.” He stopped to take another slow breath, the tears beginning to fall. “I don’t get to have those things with anyone anymore and sometimes it’s the only thing that helps me get through the day. Nino helps where he can, and I can’t thank him enough. He’s been a life saver a number of times.” He craned his head to look back at Marinette. “I guess what I’m trying to get at, what I’m trying to ask, is if it would be too forward of me to ask you for your help with this. I know it’s a strange request, and if it makes you uncomfortable, I understand. I don’t want to cross a line and lose you beca—”

Marinette placed her fingers to his mouth, silencing his rambling. She crushed him in a hug and buried her face in his hair. “Oh, Adrien. I couldn’t imagine going through what you have and coming out the other side as well as the person you are.” She released him and moved so they were facing each other. She cupped his face in her hands and looked into his sad green eyes as she rubbed away his tears with her thumbs, “I told you at the beginning of the year you could come to me with anything and I meant it. If you need a hug, come find me. Want a shoulder to lean on? I’m there. I will let you know if I’m uncomfortable with something, okay?”

Adrien nodded, nuzzling his cheek against her hand. “How did I get so lucky to find someone as understanding as you?”

She reached up with her free hand and ruffled his hair. “I don’t know, but I’m glad I was lucky enough to be found.”

They settled back into their cuddling position. He told her about his last photoshoot and some of the outfits he modeled until the lights came back on. Checking the time, they had about two hours before Adrien’s driver came to pick him up. Marinette made a blanket fort while Adrien blew out all the candles and placed them back in her drawer. Soon they were snuggled in the fort watching _Howl’s Moving Castle_. Adrien commented that his mom had always played animated movies for him when he was sad, and Marinette was more than willing to accommodate him.

About halfway through the movie, Marinette looked down to find Adrien had fallen asleep. She shook her head as she smiled and turned off the movie so it wouldn’t wake him. She quietly sketched by the light of the desk lamp until she heard his alarm going off. Marinette gently woke Adrien and walked him down to gather his dry clothes from the laundry room and allow him to change before they headed down to the main floor.

Adrien turned back to Marinette and wrapped her in a tight hug that she quickly returned. “Thanks again for everything, Mariette. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

“It’s no problem, Adrien. I’m just glad you felt you could come to me.” Giving him one last squeeze, Marinette pulled away and reached for the door. Adrien’s car was outside with his driver waiting patiently next to the back door.

Adrien walked out the door but turned quickly back around. “Do you think we could walk together to school from now on? It was really nice to spend that extra time with you today.”

Marinette smiled warmly and nodded. “Of course, Adrien. See you in the morning, then.”

Adrien waved and got into the silver sedan. As it pulled away, Marinette felt like her heart went with it. 

Marinette made it back to her room to see her phone’s screen lit up on her desk. Seeing it was Alya, she answered immediately. “Hey, Alya.”

“Hey, girl. I was just checking on you. The storm started just as we got on the metro. Did you and Adrien get home okay?”

“We got caught in the storm but made it back to the house. The power went out shortly after we got back.”

“So, you got to spend the evening with Adrien in the dark?”

“Alya, it wasn’t like that!” Marinette shrieked, her cheeks turning pink at the implication. Leave it to her best friend to say something like that.

“So, what was it like then?”

Marinette sighed and chose her words carefully. “We talked for a while and I think we got a lot closer, Alya. We are still just friends, but I think we reached another level tonight.”

“Oh?”

Marinette reclined on her chaise, pulling a pillow to her chest. “Yeah. Adrien really opened up to me about a few things. He got so upset, Alya.”

“Did you give him the patented MDC blanket burrito treatment? Those things are magic, girl!”

“I did. It seemed to help, and he was back to his old self in no time. I even hugged him!" Marinette squeaked as if she couldn't believe what she had done. "But he seemed okay with it! He seems to really like hugs. After that he asked if we could walk to school together in the mornings.”

“Wow, girl! I’m impressed. He really does need some good, supportive friends.”

“Which is why I’m going to ask that you not make a big deal out of it.”

“Like I would do that!” Alya said in mock indignation.

“You did that just this morning when we came in arm-in-arm.” Marinette pointed out. “I’ve worked too hard to get him to open up. I can’t risk him pulling back into his shell.”

“Alright, alright. I get it. I can’t speak for the rest of the class though.”

Marinette sighed. Alya was right. She would have to face the class sooner or later. Maybe another classmate could help with that.

“I think I may just have a solution to that problem.” Marinette heard her phone beep in her ear and looked to see a message from Adrien pop up. “Adrien just texted. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Later, girl.”

Marinette hung up with Alya and spent the next half hour texting Adrien before going to bed. She huddled under the covers, both nervous and excited about the possibility of tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Marinette and Adrien text about? Find out tomorrow! Gabriel will finally make his grand entrance.


	9. Sophisticated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel enters the picture, we learn what the texting was all about, and Chloe is is the best frienemy!

Gabriel stood at the top of the grand staircase in the foyer, awaiting his son’s return and thinking over his actions since his wife's 'disappearance.' His neglect of Adrien was for his own good, right? He wasn't a heartless person, he just had to focus on his goals in order to make is family, his world, whole again. Who was he kidding? He knew he had been hurting his son more by pushing him away. He was the owner of the miraculous of emotion, after all. However, he had noticed Adrien's attitude and demeanor changes over the past month. Nathalie informed him that Marinette had a lot to do with it, and he had her put together a file on the Dupain-Chengs. While he was impressed by Marinette, he still had to protect his family. 

The door opened and Gabriel’s attention snapped to the young man walking in. He watched as Adrien’s face morphed from surprise to panic, then quickly sliding into a blank expression mirroring his own. “Adrien, you are late.”

“I’m sorry, Father. The storm came on suddenly and Viktor had to wait—” Adrien stopped talking when his father put a hand up.

“I am well aware of why you are late and where you have been this evening.” Gabriel retorted. "I would you to invite Ms. Dupain-Cheng to dinner tomorrow.”

“Yes, Father.” He watched as his father nodded, then turned and disappeared toward his office. Adrien quietly made his way to his room, confused about what had just occurred.

Plagg zipped out of Adrien’s shirt and toward his cheese cabinet. “Hey, Kit,” he called after grabbing a couple of wedges of his beloved Camembert. “You okay?”

Adrien flopped onto his bed with a sigh. "I'm not quite sure what happened back there. I was certain I was about to get grounded or he was going to cut Marinette out of my life. Instead, he invites her to dinner?" 

“Don’t know, but you need to give Baker Girl a head’s up before tomorrow morning.”

Nodding, he took out his phone, and pulled up the messaging app. He was surprised to Marinette was still active.

**A: Hey Marinette. Thanks again for today. I really needed it.**

It took about thirty seconds of dot dancing before her response came through.

**M: No problem, Adrien. Any time.**

**A: Funny you should say that. After today’s adventure, Father would like to meet with you.**

**A: I know it’s last minute, but he wanted me to ask if you would join us for dinner tomorrow.**

**A: Would that be okay? If not, I can ask Father if another day would be available.**

_**M: Wow. I can’t believe he wants to meet me!** _

_**M: I will ask Maman and Papa tomorrow and let you know when we meet up to walk to school.** _

_**M: I’m sure they’ll say yes though.** _

_**M: What should I wear?** _

Adrien chuckled at her quick-fire texts.

**A: Clothes would be preferred.** **😼**

_**M: ADRIEN!**_ **😲** _**You know what I mean!**_

**A: Wear one of your designs.**

**A: But no matter what you wear, I’m sure he’s going to like you.**

_**M: I’ll have to take your word for that.** _

_**M: So, are you okay? Really?** _

Adrien smiled fondly at his phone. He could just feel the care and concern radiating from the device in his hands.

**A: How could I not be when I have great friends like you watching over me?**

**_M:_ ** **🙄** _**Why do I even try?** _

The words ‘because you love me’ appeared on Adrien’s screen. Before he pressed the send key, he decided to rephrase his response.

**A: Because you care about all your friends.**

_**M: Some more than others** _

**A: Ouch! Where do I fall on that scale?**

_**M: Lower by the minute** _ **😛**

**A: That hurts, Marinette.** **😿**

_**M: Don’t be like that. You know you’re at the top, right below Alya.** _

**A: I can handle that.**

**A: Anyway, it’s getting late. Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.** **😺**

**_M: Night Adrien. See you in the morning._ ** **😊**

**A: Good Night, Marinette.**

Adrien placed his phone on the charger and changed before crawling into bed. He wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring, but as long as he had Marinette to lean on, he was sure it would be okay.

\---

Marinette was at the kitchen table nibbling on a slice of brioche covered in marmalade when Adrien entered the apartment. “Good morning, Adrien.”

“Good morning, Marinette. You are up early!” Adrien teased as he swiped a piece of bread and jam off her plate.

“Hey!” She exclaimed as she tried to get her breakfast back. “Get your own!”

Adrien grinned smugly as he bit into his prize, chuckling as he watched Marinette pout. She really was cute when she pouted, or did anything for that matter.

Marinette finished her breakfast in a huff and took her plates to the sink and rinsed them before returning. “Ready, Bread Thief?”

“Always, Princess.” Adrien retorted as he opened the door for her. 

“Princess?” Marinette stopped and looked quizzically at him.

Adrien panicked. He hadn’t thought about what he said. “Like Aladdin?” He said, trying to cover for himself.

Marinette laughed, “Oh, that makes sense.” She dismissed the sudden thoughts of her partner as she linked her arm in his as they made their way downstairs. “Just don’t make a habit of calling me that.”

Adrien opened the side door. “No problem, Marinette.”

“My parents said it was okay for me to go to dinner tonight.” Marinette relayed quietly as they neared the school. “What time do I need to be there?”

Adrien couldn’t figure out if he was excited or terrified to hear she was coming to dinner. “Viktor will pick you up at 6:45, dinner is at 7. Are there any food allergies I need to tell the chef about?”

“Not that I know of.” Marinette squeezed his arm and walked over to her locker, returning shortly before he was done at his. “I’m looking forward to tonight!”

Adrien nodded, wishing he could feel the same way.

\---

Marinette caught Chloé as the school let out for lunch. “Chloé, can I ask you a favor?”

“Is it about Adrichou? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you two walking around together.”

“Yes. He and I talked about his home life yesterday and, well—”

Chloé cut her off. "What? He did?" She looked Marinette up and down. "Well, respect, Dupain-Cheng. So, what does that have to do with me?"

"I'm sure you aren't the only one who's noticed us walking to school, and I'm afraid he'll withdraw if anyone says anything to him—"

Chloé cut her off again. Chloé, trying to look disinterested, turned to her side and examined her nails. "Got it. You leave the class to me. I won't like it, but you focus Adrichou. As much as I hate to admit it, he really needs someone like you. I'm surprised he hasn't just asked you out yet or whatever."

“He doesn’t see me in that way, Chloé, and I’m fine with that.” Marinette replied with a sad edge to her voice. She changed the subject before she could dwell on her words, while Chloé rolled her eyes. “I was also hoping you had some time to come by my house after school to help me with picking an outfit. Adrien’s father invited me to—"

Chloé held up her hand, cutting Marinette off for a _third_ time. Seriously, what is her deal? "Say no more. I'll be there at 3 pm _sharp_. I'm sure we can find _something_ in your _drab_ wardrobe." Chloé flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned around to go find Sabrina.

Marinette sighed as she watched after her, whispering to Tikki, "I guess she's improved, right? " Before Tikki could respond, Marinette shook her head as she went to meet the others for lunch.

Adrien watched as the two girls parted. It made him smile to his two friends getting along after years of tension and resentment between the two. Chloé wasn’t perfect, but becoming Queen Bee had been a blessing for her, and she was taking her new mantle seriously.

Marinette sat down next to Adrien, who immediately pulled her into a quick side hug. Marinette smiled up at him before turning her attention to her lunch and the conversation around them. She didn’t miss the fact that Adrien’s arm never left the back of her chair for the rest of the period.

\---

Chloé was flipping through Marinette's closet, occasionally scoffing at items she saw, while Marinette paced around the room. After a few minutes, she groaned and slide onto her chaise. "I just don't think I have anything sophisticated enough to wear to dinner with _M. Agreste_.”

Chloé rolled her eyes while she kept searching. "Quit being such a _drama queen_ and come help me look!" Marinette reluctantly got up and started searching deeper in her closet while Chloé moved on. As she looked around Marinette's work station, something caught her eye. "Hey, what's this?" Chloé asked as she walked around the dressing screen where a mannequin was.

Marinette looked in the direction of Chloé's voice. "That? It's a design I sketched a few years ago. Apparently, Maman told her family about it when she went to visit them, and they sent the fabric last month. Aunt Xia knows someone who was able to create the pattern I wanted."  
  
Chloé raised an eyebrow." Well, I _suppose_ it looks decent." Marinette shrugged and went back to searching through her closet. Chloé snorted," Well? What are you waiting for? We don't have all day! Go try it on!"

Startled, Marinette squeaked and hurried behind the screen. Sighing, she took her time and care with her latest design, putting it on slowly before reappearing in the dress: a white, floor-length qipao detailed with red plum blossoms, blue lilacs, and gold thread accenting throughout. The edges and ties at the top were black.

Chloé was floored by the design. It was absolutely stunning, but she didn't know if she was willing to tell _Marinette_ that. Sure, Ladybug expected her to be kind, even to her enemies, and she _has_ made a lot of improvements over the time since she was first Queen Bee, right? But, taking the high road was _hard_ , so she settled for an indifferent response. "I suppose that'll do." Yeah, that wasn't mean, right? "Now sit. It's time for your makeover." Chloé said with a glint in her eye. Oh how she loved giving people makeovers! Even if it was for this baker girl, she was still going to enjoy this.  
  
Marinette, however, looked a little worried. "What are you going to do?"  
  
Chloé smiled. "I'm going to turn you from a diamond in the rough into a polished jewel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter...dinner at the Agreste's. Stay tuned.


	10. Address

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's dinner at the Agreste's leads to some interesting conversations.

Adrien waited nervously in his room. Viktor had just left to pick Marinette up, and Adrien couldn’t wait to see her. While he was confident she would impress his father, there was that small voice in the back of his mind that told him he was about to lose yet another friend at his father’s hand. He heard the front door open, and went downstairs to meet their guest.

Viktor was closing the door behind Marinette and taking her coat when Adrien arrived. She was dressed in a traditional oriental dress paired with flats made from the same fabric. Her makeup was delicate, and her hair was pulled into a chignon. She looked absolutely stunning as she walked toward him.

“Good evening, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Welcome to our home.” Both teens turned to see Gabriel standing at the top of the stairs.

Marinette bowed slightly. “Good evening, Mr. Agreste. Thank you for inviting me. It is truly an honor.”

“The honor is ours.” Gabriel replied with a polite bow of his head as he descended the stairs. “Shall we progress to the dining room?”

“You look great,” Adrien whispered to Marinette as he fell in behind his father.

“Thanks,” she returned nervously. She admired Adrien’s charcoal grey suit, which he had paired with a hunter green dress shirt and black tie. “You look good, too.”

“Thank you.” Adrien whispered as they arrived at the table. Adrien pulled Marinette’s chair out and made sure she was settled before taking his seat on the other side of the table. Gabriel was in between them at the head of the table.

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng, that is a lovely name. May I ask why your last name is hyphenated? It is quite unusual.” Gabriel looked over at the young woman as their water was poured and salads brought out.

“My mother never took my father’s last name, as is Chinese tradition, so they decided to combine their last names when I was born.”

“I see. Tradition is important in your family then?”

“Yes. We celebrate important days on both the French and Chinese calendars,” Marinette answered, wondering where this line of questioning was going.

“Have they owned their business long?”

“They have owned it for over 20 years. My father worked in my grandfather’s bakery when he was growing up and decided he wanted to continue the family business when he and Maman moved to Paris.”

“Neither of your parents are from Paris?”

“No, sir. Maman spent most of her youth in China, but a job opportunity brought her family to Provins, where Papa was born and raised. They spent a lot of time together, being the children of a chef and a baker. When they got married, my parents moved to Paris to open the bakery.”

Gabriel nodded, but said nothing, cataloging the information to be dissected later. Nothing she had said thus far was cause for concern, other than the fact that they were in a different social circle.

“I hear their bakery is the best in Paris. I would tend to agree.” When Marinette gave him a quizzical look, he added, “My wife would often visit their bakery for fresh bread when she was still here.”

Marinette nodded. “I am sorry to hear about your wife, Mr. Agreste.” She looked over to Adrien and gave him a compassionate look, which he returned with a small smile.

Gabriel nodded. “Thank you for your sentiment. All hope is not lost for her return.”

Marinette decided to move the conversation to less sensitive topic. “May I ask why you decided to go into fashion, Mr. Agreste?”

Gabriel glanced from his meal to his guest. “I always had a passion for art, and my original career choice was to be an artist. When I was about your age, I was sitting in a park when a beautiful woman passed by. I was truly inspired by her grace and elegance. I wanted to create something that matched her beauty and designed my first gown.” Gabriel was staring off into the distance with a fond smile on his face. “I asked a seamstress friend of mine to make the gown once I purchased the supplies. I waited in that park for days hoping the woman would pass by. On the fourth day, I saw her and presented the gown to her. We were inseparable after that, even going to the same university so I could study fashion design while she studied acting and business. We were married shortly after graduating university, on the same date that we met.” Gabriel turned his full attention to her, as if seeing her for the first time. “Speaking of which, that is an interesting ensemble, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Did you design it?”

“Yes. I designed the dress, as well as the fabric.” Marinette answered confidently. “My Maman sent copies of the silk design I had drawn to her family in China, and they sent it last month. I had the shoes made by a local cobbler.”

“I think it looks fantastic!” Adrien interjected into the conversation that felt more like an interrogation. Hoping to talk up her talents, he added. “You should see her sketchbook, Father. Her talents have really improved since the derby hat competition.”

“Maybe another day.” Gabriel mused, turning his attention back from his son to Marinette. “What was your inspiration?”

“I wanted to create something that was a fusion of my dual heritage. While the dress has an Asian influence, the flowers printed on the fabric are the national flowers of France and China. The ballet flats are made with the Chinese silk, combining eastern and western styles.”

Adrien listened intently to her explanation, sliding glances over to his father to see if he was as impressed by her talent as Adrien was. “That’s wonderful! Wouldn’t you agree, Father?”

“I do.” Gabriel took another bite of his meal before focusing again on Marinette. “You said you received the fabric from family?”

“I did, sir. Maman’s family still lives in China, and her sister knows someone who prints textiles, so they were able to have it made as a gift for my birthday this year.”

“That was really nice of them,” Adrien whispered.

Marinette watched as a sad expression crossed Gabriel’s face before his mask slid back. Before she could question him about it, Gabriel changed the subject.

“Are you planning on interning with any of the fashion houses here in Paris over the summer?”

Marinette looked up as she placed her utensils down, finished with her entrée. “I was considering applying for a few of the internship programs. I am not going to pin my hopes on them, though.”

“Do you not believe your talents are superior enough to receive one?”

“I wouldn’t be so boastful as to say that. I believe the experience would help sharpen and hone my talents. However, they are typically given to university and senior lycée students. I am content to apply for them to get my name out there and continue to work on my own until I receive one.”

“I look forward to seeing your portfolio on my desk shortly,” Gabriel noted as the dinner plates were removed and dessert was presented.

“You will be disappointed then, sir.” Marinette stated plainly, causing both men to look up at her as she sipped her water. “I will not be applying for an internship with your company.”

“Marinette…” Adrien gasped. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why not?”

“Integrity. The same reason I turned down Mrs. Bourgeois’ invitation to New York two years ago after the fashion show with the derby hat.”

Gabriel was intrigued. “I am not quite sure I understand your answer. It would be a wonderful opportunity to work under any of my designers.”

“I’m sure it would be.” Marinette countered. “But I want to get into this industry on my own merit, not because I rode the Agreste coattails. I am not Adrien’s friend for the benefits.”

Adrien’s heart burst with affection for this girl. She was one of the first people to like him for him, not because he was an Agreste or a model or rich, and she had just told his father that. Could she get any better?

“Then why are you friends with my son?”

Marinette turned to look at Adrien. “Adrien is kind, thoughtful, and intelligent. He surprises me every day with how much love and kindness he has to give. He is faithful to his friends and sees the best in everyone he meets.” She smiled and turned to Gabriel with an intensity in her eyes that could cut steel. “Your son is more than just a pretty face to put on magazines and billboards.”

Adrien’s mouth fell open at the blatant jab at his father. Did she really just say that to the man who could blacklist her from her chosen industry? Did she understand that their friendship was on the line? He closed his mouth and dared a look at his father to see his reaction.

Gabriel was thrown off balance. He was used to having people submit before him, including his son. Nathalie was the only one who occasionally stood up to him. Marinette was a force to be reckoned with, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to keep her close or send her far away.

“I see,” Gabriel responded as the dishes were cleared. “I will take your comment into consideration. For now, why don’t the two of you retire to Adrien’s room? He has his piano practice, however, I’m sure he would appreciate the company tonight.”

Adrien didn’t think he could be more surprised by the events of the evening. He was sure that Marinette would be forbidden from entering the house again after a comment like that. He was still worried it could happen, but he wasn’t going to look this gift horse in the mouth. “I would. Thank you, Father.”

Marinette nodded. “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Agreste. The meal was lovely, as was the conversation.”

“The pleasure was all mine, I assure you.” Gabriel replied. “If you will excuse me, I must return to my office.”

Marinette walked into Adrien’s room, confused when she didn’t see his piano. She was about to ask where it had gone, when she remembered she had only been here as Ladybug and wouldn't know that he had a piano in his room in the first place. She decided to play dumb, as if assuming the piano might be located elsewhere in the house. "Why are we in your room if you're supposed to be practicing the piano?"

Adrien grinned as he pushed a button on his remote and the grand piano appeared from the floor. He giggled at Marinette’s expression as her eyes widened and her lips formed an ‘o’ of wonder. “What can I say, Father is eccentric.”

Marinette giggled at his eye roll. “What are you going to be playing today?”

“I’m supposed to be practicing pieces by Bach and Chopin, but I’m not really in the mood for either.” He admitted as he sat on the bench, motioning for her to sit in his computer chair.

“What are you in the mood to play?” She asked, listening to his warm-up sequence of chords and arpeggios.

“Do you any requests?” He turned to see her shake her head. He grinned and started playing. It was a beautiful, upbeat song that Marinette recognized.

“This is from _Howl’s Moving Castle,_ ” she whispered, not wanting to disturb his playing.

“Yep,” he answered. “I learned it a few years ago. I know most of the Studio Ghibli theme songs. I like to play them when I need a pick-me-up.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later. Right now, I just want to play for my best friend.”

Marinette nodded her understanding, though inside she was squealing at his sentiment. She knew they were close, but hear him say they were best friends was a victory all on its own. She moved to the piano bench, and got lost in the music. An hour of music transpired before he practiced his mandatory pieces. Although Adrien didn't seem to have as much fun with these pieces as he did with the Ghibli ones, Marinette thought they sounded just as lovely.

Gabriel sat his atelier, appreciating his son's music as it came in through the open doors. He thought back to Emilie playing the Ghibli songs to Adrien when he was little as the familiar notes filled his ears. His thoughts moved from his wife to the young woman he had just sat through dinner with. She had surprised him more than once with her honesty and ferocity. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for those she cared for, even in the face of someone like Gabriel Agreste. She reminded him so much of Emilie, his heart hurt. 

He could sense the love those two had for each other, even without his miraculous, which meant his options surrounding her were limited. He decided he would keep Marinette close to the family. He would welcome her in and eventually, give her a place at his company. Then Marinette could take over one day and he could spend his golden years with his beloved. 

Gabriel smiled as this potential future played out in his mind. All he needed was two pieces of jewelry, and everything would be as it should be. Two miraculous, one wish, and both Agreste men would have the women of their dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what does everyone think? Gabriel showed interest in Marinette during the Style Queen episode and throughout season 2, he was showing some fondness for his son. I personally don't think he is a bad/evil person, he is just doing what he thinks is best to achieve his goals. Hopefully he will see the error of his ways before it's too late.  
> Anyway, tomorrow's prompt is - boat. Humm???? Until tomorrow!


	11. Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a jam session for Kitty Section, and music isn't the only thing that's stirring.

“Adrien! Marinette! Wait up!” Rose called as she caught up to the pair where they stood next to Adrien’s waiting car on Friday afternoon.

“What’s up?” Marinette asked as the small blonde caught her breath.

“I’m SOOO sorry,” Rose looked up with tears in her big blue eyes. “I forgot to ask you guys if you were coming to the jam session tomorrow for Kitty Section. It’s at 3 p.m. on Juleka’s houseboat.”

“I’m sure I can be there,” Marinette smiled down at her tiny friend. “I just have to ask Maman and Papa.”

Rose nodded vigorously and turned to Adrien, who rubbed his neck. “I will have to see how my schedule looks, and ask my father, but I’ll be there if I can.”

“Great!” Rose exclaimed. “You can play too, Adrien. We love having your keys in the set.” Rose bounced away to take Juleka’s hand.

“Anyway,” Adrien said as he cleared his throat. “I have a photoshoot then I’m free to work on our project. What are your plans tonight?”

“Well, Maman and Papa usually give me Fridays off to hang out with friends, but with the invitation to watch Kitty Section tomorrow…”

“Do you think they would let you come with me for the afternoon? It would make the shoot more fun!” Adrien pleaded, his big green eyes going into full doe-eye mode.

“Adrien…” She whined as she covered her face. “Not the big doe-eyes!” She peeked out to his eyes still in effect. She sighed, and dropped her hands to her sides. “Fine.”

“Yes!” Adrien pumped his fist into the air and relayed the message to Viktor. He took Marinette’s hand and dragged her in the direction of her house.

\---

Marinette was surprised at all the activity going on around her. She had seen a few of Adrien’s photoshoots with Vincent in the park, but this was something else entirely. After getting permission from Sabine and Tom, as well as Nathalie, the two were driven to the location and promptly separated. While Adrien was taken to hair, makeup, and wardrobe, Marinette was led to a sitting area off to the side. She took out her sketchbook and turned to a dress she had started in art class. Something hadn’t been right about it, but she hadn’t been about to figure out what it was until now. Now, as she took in the colors and scenes in front of her, it clicked. She became oblivious of her surroundings as her inspiration took hold.

Adrien stepped out of makeup, dressed and ready for the cameras. He took a glance around the studio and found Marinette with her head down, pencil in hand. He wanted to go over and see what her brilliant mind had designed this time, but took his place in front of the backdrop to begin the shoot instead. Four outfits and two backdrops later, Adrien was done for the day. It had taken less time today than in the past and Adrien had a feeling it had something to do with the company he had brought. Anytime he needed inspiration for the shot, his eyes wondered to the area where Marinette sat, still working on her designs. He emerged from his changing room dressed back in his daily clothes and devoid of makeup, to find Marinette in conversation with one of the designers.

“It is lovely. Simply spectacular!” Ferdinand gushed as he looked at Marinette’s design. “The lines are clear as crystal and the colors are crisp enough to eat. You do fabulous work Ms.—”

“Dupain-Cheng. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“I will have to remember that name. I am quite sure I will be hearing it again.” Ferdinand tipped his hat and walked away as Adrien came up.

“I want you to know, that is high praise coming from him.” Adrien stage whispered as he helped Marinette up. “Ferdi is one of the hardest people to impress.”

“Really?” Marinette asked with awe in her voice. “Who was he? The conversation went by so fast; I didn’t have time to ask.”

“He’s one of the head designers.” Adrien explained as they made their way outside. “I was modeling his designs today for the new line.”

It took Marinette the entire ride from the studio to the Agreste mansion to process what had happened. One of the head designers at _Gabriel_ complimented _her_ work? He wanted to know _her_ name? He said he would have to remember it, because he would be hearing it again. This couldn’t be happening to her. She wasn’t good enough to be noticed by someone who works that closely to Gabriel Agreste. She had been sure that Mr. Agreste had been cordial at dinner because she was Adrien’s friend, but maybe…just maybe he had been impressed?

Her door opening brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Adrien standing with his hand outstretched, waiting to help her out. She placed her hand in his, grateful for the distraction from the whirlwind of self-doubt that was plaguing her. Viktor walked ahead of them and opened the door, startling Gabriel and Nathalie.

“Good Afternoon, Adrien. You are home early.” Gabriel greeted before turning to face Marinette. “Ah, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. It is wonderful to see you again.”

“Thank you, Mr. Agreste. Please, call me Marinette. I know my last name can be a mouthful.” 

“Very well, Marinette. You two may head up to Adrien’s room. Dinner will be ready in two hours.”

“Father. Before you go, may I ask you something?” Gabriel faced his son and nodded. “There is a jam session for the band I play with tomorrow afternoon. I was hoping I could go, if my schedule permits.”

Gabriel looked over to Nathalie, who handed him a tablet. “You have your lessons in the morning, but it looks like your afternoon is clear. Who will be in attendance?”

“Luka, Ivan, Juleka, Rose, and Marinette for sure. Max and Nino usually go to help with sound, which means Alya will probably be there as well. I’m not sure if anyone else was invited.”

“As long as you are mindful of your behavior, I do not see a problem with you attending.”

Adrien ran up and gave his father a hug. “Thank you, Father. Thank you so much.”

Gabriel returned the hug. “Off to your room, now. I will not allow this to affect your grades or your lessons.”

“Of course not, Father.” Adrien called back as he grabbed Marinette’s hand and lead her upstairs.

\---

“Ahoy!” Marinette called out as she reached the gangplank of the Couffaine houseboat. “Permission to come aboard?”

“Permission granted.” A soft, male voice answered. Marinette boarded the boat to find the owner sitting in a deck chair strumming his guitar. “Hey Marinette. How are you?”

“Hey Luka.” Marinette sat in the chair next to him. “I’m fine. You?”

“Are you sure?” He asked. When she nodded, he gave her a knowing look, but said nothing. He started to play a song that was upbeat, but had an undercurrent of melancholy.

Marinette gently swayed with the song until it ended. “That was beautiful, Luka. You really have a way with your music.”

“Thanks.” Luka set his guitar down. “How are things with Adrien? Juleka said you two have been getting close.”

“Great. We have and I couldn’t be happier.” She could tell by the look on his face he was seeing straight through her, like he always did. “Okay, I could be, but it doesn’t matter.”

“Your happiness matters, Marinette. To say it doesn’t is the same as saying a melody doesn’t need a harmony to be complete.”

Marinette turned away from his piercing teal eyes. “Sometimes someone else’s song means more than your own.”

“Every song is important,” Luka countered. “Each adds to the symphony of our world. Maybe you just haven’t found the right accompaniment yet.”

Marinette looked back at Luka, wide eyes blinking. His eyes were filled with love and sincerity, making Marinette’s heart skip a beat and her breath catch. “M-maybe.” She managed to squeak out. “Excuse me.”

Before Luka could respond, Marinette had practically run to the other end of the boat. She stood at the bow, watching the Seine slowly flow by and remembered how to breath. Maybe Alya was right all along and Luka would still pursue her, even knowing that her heart would never be his alone. Would he be okay with that? Would she? Did she honestly believe she would ever break the friend zone with Adrien? It was getting harder to hold onto the hope he would love her in the same way she loved him. Were they only meant to be friends? Was she giving up too easily?

\---

Adrien stood on the shore, blocked by the houseboat. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on the conversation between Luka and Marinette, but before he could announce his presence, he heard their voices and didn’t want to interrupt the conversation. Was Marinette unhappy with their friendship? Was he doing something that was harming her in some way? Or maybe it was something he wasn’t doing? Marinette was always smiling and happy when they were together, but maybe he was just missing the signs that Luka had picked up on. He needed to talk to Marinette and there was only one way to do that.

“May I come aboard?” Adrien asked hesitantly.

“Sure, Adrien.” Luka came around the corner as Adrien stepped onto the deck. “Marinette is at the bow and the others are downstairs. We’ll be starting in about ten.” With that, Luka headed below deck.

Adrien moved cautiously toward the front of the boat as it gently rocked in the wakes of other boats. He found Marinette leaning against the rail, shivering slightly in the breeze as she stared at the city. He shrugged off his coat and draped it around her shoulders.

“Luka, I—” her words died as she turned to meet Adrien’s emerald eyes instead of Luka’s teal ones. “Adrien! When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago. Are you okay?” He asked, leaning on the rail next to her.

“Yeah. Something Luka said kind of surprised me, so I wanted some time to think.”

“Anything I can help with?” He watched her shrug out of the corner of his eye. “Well, I’m here if you need me, okay? You’ve helped me so much and I want to return the favor.”

She turned and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks, Adrien.”

\---

Adrien noticed Nino giving him the signal that they needed to talk. After the song he was playing was over, he took a break to go above deck with his friend. “What’s wrong Nino?”

“Everything okay between you and Marinette? You two seem to be out of it today.” Nino asked, getting straight to the point.

“Not that I know of. When I got here, Luka told me she was at the front of the ship, so I went up there and asked if she was okay. She wouldn’t talk to me, so we just came down here.”

Nino nodded, a pensive look coming over him. “I wonder why.”

“It was something Luka said.” Adrien grumbled. At Nino’s raised eyebrow, Adrien sighed. “I might have heard part of their conversation when I walked up. She said she could be happier about something, but her happiness didn’t matter. Luka told her she hadn’t found the right person yet, or I think that’s what he said if I understood the metaphor correctly.”

Nino’s eyes went wide. “Really?” Adrien nodded. “Well, that clears a few things up.”

Adrien just stared out at the water. “Nino. Do you know who she was talking about?”

“Not a clue, dude.” Nino lied. Adrien would have to figure this one out himself, as much as it killed Nino. He was done with Alya’s half-baked schemes to get these two together.

“Great. I’m worried she was talking about me.” Adrien ran his hand through his hair. “Have I really been neglecting her feelings?”

“I don’t know, man. She seems happy when she’s around everyone, but she’s almost as good at hiding her feelings as you are. Like I told you before, she will jump into that water in December if it means her friends are alive, happy, and healthy.”

Adrien nodded, though Nino’s words didn’t help quell the anxiety churning in his gut. “What am I going to do, Nino? She’s helped me _so_ much and I just keep taking without giving anything in return.”

“That’s not true,” Nino asserted. “She told us about the dinner at your house. You didn’t have to play music you knew she would like, but you did. Sure, it also helped you, but it’s a start. You give her praise when she’s feeling down about herself, complementing her designs and things like that.” Nino took a heavy breath. “Maybe you could do more, maybe you are doing all you can. That’s something you need to figure out. Maybe talking to someone else would help. I know when I’m having problems of the heart, I talk to my parents or Alya’s. I’ve even spoken to Marinette’s mom on occasion. She’s great at these things.”

Adrien nodded, thinking about Nino’s words of advice. If he wanted to fix this, he needed to know what was broken. He knew talking to his father was out of the question, but maybe Sabine would know the answer to his questions. “Do you think Marinette’s mom would take time to talk to me?”

“She would take time out of her day to talk to a stranger, dude. I’m sure she would shut the bakery down to help one of her daughter’s friends.” Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien’s shoulders and squeezed. “What’s your schedule like tomorrow?”

Adrien pulled out his phone and sent a text to Nathalie for his updated schedule. “I have a photoshoot until noon, then nothing until dinner.” He announced in a confused tone. “I’m beginning to worry about my lighter schedule. This is the first time in years my days haven’t been packed to the point I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

“One, don’t look at it too closely. Enjoy it while it lasts!” Nino advised, to which Adrien nodded. “Two, I’ll convince Alya to get Marinette out of the house. Sabine usually takes her break after the lunch rush, so it should work out in your favor.”

“Sounds good. Thanks, Nino. Can you thank Alya for me as well?” Adrien asked as they turned to go back downstairs. “I honestly don’t know what I would do without friends like you guys.”

“Let’s make sure you never need to find out.”

Adrien finished out the jam session with butterflies fluttering in his stomach. His eyes had met Alya’s as she looked up from her screen. She simply nodded her head, though the look on her face scared Adrien a bit.

Later that night, Nino texted Adrien to let him know Alya had been successful and Marinette would be gone until dinner. There was no turning back now, Adrien’s path was set… for tomorrow anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....Luka....did we not see that coming with the prompt? ;-) Anyway, tomorrow Adrien goes to Sabine for advice...how will my prompt work into this? Guess we will have to wait to see!! Until tomorrow!


	12. Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabine lends motherly advice to our sweet, confused blond

Sabine sat in her kitchen, enjoying her quiet afternoon while her husband minded the store. It had been their custom since they opened the bakery. Tom would eat his meal after the morning rush, and she would take her break after the lunch rush. The only time they altered this was when they had a custom or large catering order. Thankfully, today was a normal Sunday.

There was a light knock on the door, followed by Adrien cracking it open to walk inside. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Cheng,” he greeted in Mandarin.

“Hello, Adrien,” Sabine replied warmly in kind. “I’m sorry, but Marinette is out with Alya today.”

“I know,” Adrien confessed as curled in on himself a bit, his eyes darting to the floor before glancing up again. “I was hoping to talk to you, actually. I could really use some motherly advice right now and since my mom is gone--”

Sabine nodded, patting the chair next to her as an invitation. Adrien took a seat across from her, slumping a bit and looking to her like a rabbit that might dart at the slightest noise. “Is there something bothering you, dear?”

Adrien sighed. He had been trying to work out what to say since last night, but even now, he was drawing a blank. “I’m not really sure how to explain things so they make sense.”

“Just start at the beginning and tell me what you can,” Sabine suggested calmly as she stood. “I’m going to make some tea while you collect your thoughts. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please.” Adrien answered as Sabine turned to walk the few feet to the stove. A few minutes later, she returned with two cups of tea.

Adrien took the offered cup with a ‘thank you’ and drank a little before he felt calm enough to start. “It’s kind of complicated, but I will try to explain. There is a girl I work with that I thought I was madly in love with for the past two years. She was all I could think about, but she couldn’t return my feelings, because of another boy.” He paused to take a sip of tea. “Over the summer, I finally realized that she would never love me back and that I don’t love her the same way anymore. I still have to see her at work, though, and every time I do, I get all these feelings again.”

He paused again, looking up from his cup to see Sabine watching him with an open, soft expression. Feeling more confident since she hadn’t started laughing yet, he continued. “Now, there’s another girl that I know I have deep, possibly romantic, feelings for as well.” He paused to blink back the tears of frustration. “I’m just so scared that this new girl will reject me like the first one did, that I’m not allowing myself to think about my feelings. But they won’t go away, and I’m pretty sure I’m hurting both of us because I’m a coward!” He looked up at Sabine with scared, pain filled eyes. “I don’t know what to do.”

Sabine listened quietly to the young man in front of her, trying to let the pieces fall into place so she could help him. When he was finished, she stood up. “Come with me, Adrien.”

Adrien followed Sabine through Marinette’s room and onto the balcony. Confused by their change of location, he turned back to Sabine, who had walked over to one of the flower beds. Adrien came to stand beside her, admiring the flowers.

“Life is a garden, Adrien,” Sabine spoke quietly while still looking at the flowers. “Every relationship that comes into it is like a plant within that garden, each one beautiful and unique. However, no two flowers are cared for the same way, just as no two relationships can be.” She turned to look at Adrien. “There are different forms of love, my dear, each wonderful and rewarding. The feelings you have for the first girl may never go away, but that shouldn’t stop your feelings for the second.” 

The confused look on Adrien’s face prompted her to try something else. “Do you love your father, Adrien?” Adrien nodded his head. “Is it the same love you feel for either of these girls?” Adrien shook his head in response, mind still trying to put everything together. 

Sabine smiled and picked a few flowers before gesturing for him to hold his hand out. “The love between family,” she placed a purple pansy in his hand, “is different from the love for a friend,” a piece of lavender was placed in his other hand, “which are both different from the love of a couple,” she held a rose in her open hand. “Yet, they can all exist harmoniously within your garden.”

Adrien stared at the flowers in their hands, then looked around at the other varieties surrounding them. All these different plants, from flowers to herbs and even fruit trees, lived together on Marinette’s balcony, and none were out of place. He slowly began to understand what Sabine was trying to explain to him.

“So, it’s okay that I still love the first girl, because I love her more like a sister or a partner now.” He reached out and took the rose from Sabine. “And I can still be in love, like romantically, with the second girl.” He looked up from the rose. “What if she has someone else that she’s in love with, like the first girl?” Adrien whispered, thinking back to the conversation on the houseboat as well as Luka and Marinette at the ice rink when he went with Kagami.

“Then your heart will heal again. You will learn, grow and move on. However, you will never know until you ask,” Sabine stated. “May I offer you one more piece of advice?”

“Of course, Mrs. Cheng. Anything would be helpful at this point.”

“Start off small.” She gently touched the rose. “Each flower needs different amounts of water and sun to grow, as does each relationship. The one thing all plants have in common is they all start from seeds.”

“So, I shouldn’t make some grand statement, but do something small, like go for coffee or ice cream?” Adrien asked tentatively. “Okay. I can do that. Start simple.”

“I’m sure you will be fine, Adrien.” Sabine walked up and wrapped the boy in a hug. “I am always here if you need someone, okay? Don’t be afraid to come talk to me.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien pulled back to smile at the small woman. “You have helped more than you can ever know.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Now, let’s get back inside before we both catch colds.”

\---

Adrien sat in the Dupain-Cheng’s living room, chatting with Sabine and playing cards, until Marinette arrived home later that evening.

“Maman, I’m ho—” Marinette stopped mid-sentence as she took in the scene in front of her. “Hi, Adrien. I didn’t expect to see you today. Is everything okay?”

“I believe I should be going. Thank you for everything, Mrs. Cheng.” Adrien smiled brightly at Sabine before turning his full attention to Marinette and switching back to French. “Everything is fine, Marinette. Thank you for asking.”

“Oh, you’re leaving?” Marinette asked as Adrien walked toward her and the door. “I’ll walk you out then.”

Adrien gathered his courage as they made their way down to the main floor. Sabine had been right; he wouldn’t know until he asked and his fear was only crippling him. “Marinette?” Adrien called timidly once they reached the side door. 

She looked up at him with her big bluebell eyes and the world stopped for a moment. “Yes?”

Adrien blinked a few times and took a deep breath. He could do this. “I was wondering, if you would like to go get coffee or ice cream with me sometime?”

It was Marinette’s turn to blink rapidly before responding, “You mean like as friends?”

“Not really, no.” Adrien’s hand instinctively moved to his neck. “I was hoping it could be more like a date?”

Marinette’s mouth made a little ‘o’ as her eyes grew impossibly bigger. She covered her mouth and Adrien began to panic, thinking he had overstepped his boundaries again. Before he could apologize, she was nodding her head. “That sounds great, wonderful, awesome.” She stopped and buried her face in her hands.

“So, I’m taking that as a yes?” Adrien asked, a chuckle escaping him as he reached up to grasp Marinette’s hands.

“Yes,” Marinette agreed as he slowly pulled her hands away from her face.

“Great, I’ll check my schedule with Nathalie and text you tonight. Sound good?” Adrien confirmed, still holding her hands.

“Sounds great.” Marinette echoed. She squeezed his hands and let go to open the door.

Adrien smiled as he got into his car to go home that night. He had done it! He had asked Marinette to go on a date and she had said yes! He pulled the rose from his bag, remembering what Sabine had said. He had planted the seed, now it was time to take care of it. He couldn't rush this, or it could die before it even had a chance to live. He would take it slow and he would learn what this flower will need to thrive in his garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all! I would like to thank everyone who has taken time out to read this story thus far! I can't tell you how much it means to me! Now, I am sorry to say that this pace is becoming impossible to keep up. Life is getting crazy, unfortunately for my story, so I will be slowing my posting pace to give myself more time to get the chapters to where I want them and you deserve. I am feeling like my chapters are suffering due to my rush to get them to you, so I will now be posting on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. There may be a possible extra update here and there.   
> Until Sunday!


	13. subdued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien get to go on their date....

Marinette was still floating on Cloud 9 when she woke up early the next morning. She danced around her room as she got ready for the day, deciding on a ¾-sleeve rose pink sweater dress with a scoop neckline decorated with a ladybug below the collar bone. Dark grey leggings with black paw prints and black low-heeled ankle boots with a ladybug zipper pull completed her look. She took time to make sure her makeup was flawless: a nice brown and bronze toned smokey eye to make her blue eyes pop, neutral blush, and pale pink lip color. Her hair was pulled into a half -up style, the top in a bun with a pink ribbon tied around it and the bottom slightly curled.

“Tikki, do you think I look okay?” Marinette asked as she turned in front of her full-length mirror. No matter how excited she was or how close they had become, this was still going to be a  _ date _ with  _ Adrien Agreste _ , and she wanted to look her best.

Tikki giggled as she flew down to sit on Marinette’s shoulder. “You look fantastic, Marinette. Adrien won’t be able to concentrate in class today, he’ll be so distracted.”

“Tikki! Stop!” Marinette whined as she blushed and hid her face in her hands.

“It’s true! He’s going to love it,” Tikki countered as she nuzzled Marinette’s cheek.

Marinette removed her hands from her face and smiled at her little companion. “Thanks, Tikki.”

\---

Adrien stepped into the bakery, quickly placing his umbrella in the rack by the door so it didn’t create a mess. He waved at Tom as he approached the counter. “Good morning, Mr. Dupain.”

Tom walked around the counter and pulled Adrien into a side hug. “Good morning, my boy! How are you?”

“I’m doing well, thank you,” Adrien answered as he stepped back. “How are you?”

“Doing fantastic,” Tom responded as he winked at Adrien. “Have you decided what you plan to do after school today?”

Adrien blushed. “Yes, sir. I was hoping to take her for coffee, but my schedule is booked with the Fall Fashion show coming up. We decided to go to a café for lunch instead.”

Tom nodded in approval. “That sounds wonderful, Son. I’m sure you will both have a great time.” 

“Good morning, Papa,” Marinette called cheerfully as she walked into the room, her wine colored pea coat draped over her arm. She smirked as she walked up to Adrien. “You know, people might talk if we keep doing this.”

Adrien looked over Marinette and chuckled. They had picked coordinating outfits again, with his burgundy sweater over a grey button-down that he paired with dark grey pinstripe pants and black leather boots. He was still wearing his black peacoat. 

“If they do, it won’t be about me,” he retorted with a cheshire grin of his own as he took her coat and held it out for her.

Marinette hoped he had missed her cheeks coloring as she turned to slip into her coat. “Of course not, Mr. Model,” she teased back.

Adrien laughed as he retrieved his umbrella. “You could outshine me any day,” he countered as he turned back to Tom. “Have a great day, Mr. Dupain.”

“No one can possibly outshine you,  _ Sunshine _ ,” she sassed as they walked out of the bakery arm-in-arm.

\---

“Marinette!” Alya shouted as Marinette and Adrien entered the school. “Sorry, Agreste, but I need to borrow your arm candy.”

“Alya!” Marinette shrieked while Adrien laughed. She looked up to see the look on his face clearly saying, ‘see, I told you so.’ She huffed and walked toward her locker without waiting to see if anyone followed. Alya shot Adrien a look that clearly said they weren’t done yet before leaving to catch up to her friend.

Adrien shook his head and walked across the way to the boys’ locker area. “Morning, Nino,” Adrien called as they fist bumped and moved to their lockers.

“Alya told me you’re ditching us at lunch. What gives?” Nino asked as they made their way to homeroom.

“I’m taking Marinette on a lunch date,” Adrien answered, his voice wavering a bit.

“Congrats, bro, ” Nino clasped his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Sorry, I’m just a little nervous about it.” Adrien took his seat and spun around so he could continue the conversation. “Marinette is really special and I don’t want to lose her friendship if this doesn’t work out.”

“Totally get it, dude. I don’t think you have any reason to fear losing her, though. You know how chill Marinette is.” Nino assured him as the girls came in and class started.

\---

“So, what’s the scoop on Sunshine?” Alya pressed as she walked with Marinette to their next class.

Marinette’s face warmed at the thought of her upcoming date. “He asked me to lunch as a ‘date’ after he found out his schedule wouldn’t allow for our original plan of coffee after school.”

“You're going on a date with  _ Adrien _ and you aren’t screaming from the rooftop or freaking out?” Alya teased as they sat down in maths. “Who are you and what have you done with Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

“I’m just trying to stay calm and collected. He likes confident Marinette, not crazy ‘I can’t form sentences around you’ Marinette. This might be my one chance to finally break out of the ‘friend-zone’ and I can’t mess it up by becoming a stuttering, blushing mess again.”

Alya gave her friend a reassuring hug, “ Girl, he cares about you regardless of how you act around him. Props for being mature, but don't worry too much about how you act around him. Just be yourself!"

“Thanks, Alya,” Marinette whispered as she hugged her friend back. Alya was right. If Adrien couldn’t love all sides of her, then maybe he wasn’t the one for her afterall.

\---

Adrien led Marinette to a small café a few blocks over from the school. The interior was lined in exposed brick, with a little fireplace set into one wall. Light wood tables and chairs were set throughout the dining area. Strategic overhead lighting also added to the cozy atmosphere. They were sat at the table closest to the fireplace and had their drink orders taken after menus were presented.

“So, any idea what you’re going to order?” Marinette asked as she looked over the menu.

Adrien set his menu down. “French onion soup with a nice salad sounds really good on a day like today.”

“That does sound good. I think I’ll get the Minestrone soup with a vegetable panini,” Marinette agreed as she set her menu down as well. “I’ve always loved a warm, hearty soup on a cold, rainy day.”

“There’s nothing better,” Adrien concurred as the server returned to take their orders. Once she left, his gaze fell back on Marinette. “I forgot to tell you that I really like your dress. Are you paying homage to Paris’ superheroine?”

“That, and I thought I might need a bit of luck today. We have that big Chem test after lunch.” Marinette tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. It wasn’t the only reason she needed luck, but he didn’t need to know that. “Ladybug isn’t the only hero represented.” She moved her leg so he could get a better look at the detailing on her leggings.

“Are those  _ pawprints _ ?” Adrien asked with surprise and excitement in his voice. Marinette tucked her leg back under the table and nodded. “Those are fantastic, Marinette!”

“Thanks. I like designing things that give subtle nods to our heroes.”

“What  _ drew _ you to designing, anyway?” Adrien chuckled, both at her eye roll and his pun.

“I’ve always loved fashion and, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided I want to make designs for the common person. Most designers will only work within the parameters of a ‘model figure’, no offense.”

“None taken,” Adrien assured as their food arrived.

She nodded, thankful she hadn’t offended him. “I want to create outfits that will look great on other body types, like Alya, Ivan, or Rose. Humans aren’t cookie cutter, and everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin. I want my designs to help them with that.”

Adrien smiled at her response. “That’s a very noble sentiment, wanting to make the world a better, happier place the best way you know how. I can’t wait to watch you make that dream a reality.”

Marinette looked down at her meal to conceal her fire engine red cheeks. “What about you?”

“Father will probably want me to take over the company,” Adrien answered quietly, poking at his salad. “But I would prefer to do something like teaching, playing piano, or even acting.”

“Those are all great choices, Adrien,” Marinette confirmed while reaching across the table to give Adrien’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Maybe your father will understand if you talk to him about it.”

Adrien smiled up at Marinette as he squeezed her hand back. He had resigned himself a few years ago to a future of running a company in a field he understood little about. But now, with a few encouraging words from this wonderful girl, Adrien dared to hope that his fate could be changed.

\---

“So, I’ve been wanting to tell you something, but—” Adrien started as they made it back to school, the rain quietly falling around them. “I don’t know how you will take it.”

“As long as it isn’t ‘I hate you,’ I think I’ll be okay,” Marinette joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Adrien chuckled. “No, nothing like that.” He confirmed as he led them over to an alcove. He turned to face her and took her hand in his. “I’m really glad we’ve gotten closer, and I’ve realized that I like you as more than a friend. I don’t want to say that it’s love just yet, but I want the opportunity to figure out if it is. I want to be able to date you and get to know you better and find out if there is anything more between us. Does that make sense?” 

Marinette nodded, unsure that she could trust her voice at that moment. She briefly wondered if this was a dream, because she never thought she would hear Adrien say something like that while she was awake. However, the nudge on her thigh from Tikki confirmed that this was really happening. 

She took a deep breath, then finally spoke the words she had hidden in her heart for two years, and had been denying for the past few months “I really like you too, Adrien, and I’m happy to take things at whatever pace you feel comfortable with. Just be honest with me and I’ll do the same.”

Adrien smiled widely and pulled her into a tight embrace. He was glad all his worries had been unfounded. Marinette was the most understanding, kind, and patient person he knew, and he was so lucky to have her in his life. She wasn’t going to pressure him into anything, but instead allow him to take his time to make sure that this was what he wanted and that it was going to work for both of them.

Marinette nuzzled into his soft jacket. While she was a little disappointed that they weren’t going to make anything official yet, she agreed that it would be better to take things slowly and make sure this is what they both wanted before moving forward. She had seen too many friendships fall apart due to relationships gone awry. They had worked too hard over the past year to get this friendship to where it was now, and she was determined to not lose it, no matter what.

The sound of students screaming and running past them pierced their bubble of contentment. Adrien shoved the umbrella into Marinette’s hands as he turned toward the school entrance. “Marinette, get to safety! I’m going to look for Alya and Nino.” Before she could protest, Adrien was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late...I wanted to make sure it was worthy of being posted, since this is the turning point for these two beautiful goobers. I hope it was worth the wait!
> 
> So...an akuma. Contrary to what I wrote in a previous chapter, there will be a Ladynoir chapter, as I feel it is a loose end that I need to tie up. Until tomorrow!


	14. Colossal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette worries over Adrien...and Ladybug and Chat work things out

“Pound it!” The heroes congratulated each other as the akuma reverted back to her normal self. Charlese, a fellow student at their lycée, was a huge fan of Adrien, and had been akumatized after reading some rumors about his date with Marinette from a tabloid’s website.

Ladybug’s earrings beeped their third warning. She unattached her yoyo from her hip and threw it in one swift motion. “Bug out!”

“Ladybug, wait,” Chat called as he grabbed her by the arm. “Can we meet up tonight, please?”

Ladybug was about to turn him down, but something in his eyes made her stop. “Notre Dame. 10 p.m.”

Chat nodded and let go of her arm, allowing both heroes to leave before their identities were compromised.

\---

Adrien walked out in front of the school, looking for Marinette. He hadn’t seen her anywhere during the fight, and he wouldn’t feel better until he knew she was safe. The akuma had wanted to turn Marinette and any other girl who so much as looked at Adrien into stone. He didn’t understand why this had happened. He hasn’t seen any of the articles yet, but it couldn’t be bad enough to cause this, could it? Adrien had been in romantic settings with Chloe and Kagami before, and no akumas ever came of them. What was it about Marinette that upset Charlese? Would dating Marinette lead to a string of jealous or vengeful akumas?

Adrien turned the corner and felt a weight slide off his shoulders when he saw Marinette walking toward him. “Marinette,” he called, running to meet her and pulling her into a tight embrace. “There you are! I was looking all over for you. The akuma was after you and I was so worried--”

“I’m fine, Adrien,” Marinette reassured him as she hugged him back, equally thankful to have him back. “I hid back at the café and came back when I saw the magical ladybugs.” 

Adrien let Marinette pull back, though he didn’t let go completely. He suddenly felt a pain in his shoulder and realized Marinette had slapped him. “What was that for?”

“That was for running toward the akuma battle,” she scolded him. “I didn’t know if you were hurt or worse!”

“I’m sorry,” Adrien apologized, sincerity filling his voice. “I was worried about Nino and Alya, and I knew you could handle yourself. I didn’t think—”

“No, you didn’t,” Marinette interrupted, the tears she had been holding back all battle finally falling. She had been worried sick when he ran into the school and toward the akuma. She had more than enough nightmares of him being in danger from Volpina, Gorizilla, and Style Queen. Marinette wasn’t sure she could handle any more.

Marinette looked up at him, her blue eyes showing a mix of fear and anger. “You don’t have a magic suit or superpowers to protect you, Adrien! Please, don’t run into danger again! I don’t know what I would do if --”

Adrien pulled her back to him and held her as she sobbed. He understood her feelings all too well, as he always felt the same when he saw her doing the same thing. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop running into danger because he was Chat Noir.

“I’ll try to remember that next time,” he whispered into her hair as she calmed down. “We  _ both _ have a tendency to run toward danger instead of away from it,” he felt her tense at his words. “So, why don’t we both work on that, okay?”

Marinette nodded, even though she knew she would do it again. She was Ladybug, after all, and had to protect Paris at all costs. She just hoped the price wasn’t her relationship with Adrien.

\---

Ladybug landed on the roof of Notre Dame’s North tower at 9:50 p.m., unsurprised to find Chat already there, sitting on the ledge with his feet dangling over the side, and looking out over the city. She sat next to him and enjoyed the view, waiting to see if he would speak first.

After a few tense minutes of silence, her curiosity got the best of her. “Hey Chat. What did you want to meet about? Is there something wrong?”

Chat finally turned to look at Ladybug. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’m just trying to sort some things out.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Chat shook his head, then shrugged. “Maybe. Can I ask you something without you getting upset?”

“Sure,” Ladybug said hesitantly.

“I just need to know how you feel about me.” He saw her mask shift as she raised an eyebrow and her lips pressed together in a thin line. He quickly elaborated. “I’m not asking so I can try to get you to date me or anything. I just thought it would be helpful for me to know where we stand with each other emotionally.”

Ladybug was still skeptical, but she decided to humor her partner. “You are my best friend, Chat. You are the only one who knows what it’s like to be us and that is a bond that can never be broken. I love you as a partner and a friend. I’d be devastated if I ever lost you, which is why it upsets me so much when you throw yourself in harm’s way like you mean nothing. You mean so much to me, Chat Noir, and I would be lost without you.”

Chat nodded, but said nothing for a moment, choosing instead to think about what she had said. “I understand, Ladybug, and I have to respect that. I’ve been trying to put my own feelings for you in perspective and hearing your words really helped. I also love you as a partner and a friend, but I don’t think it goes any further than that.”

Ladybug’s eyes had grown wide as Chat spoke, not believing what she was hearing. Chat was giving up on his pursuit of her? He as okay with being friends and partners, but nothing more? After two years of countless professions of love from her kitty in black, his sudden change of heart gave her emotional whiplash.

“Is that why you’ve been distant lately, Chaton?” She asked cautiously. It really wasn’t a smart idea to poke the sleeping bear, but she had to know. She had noticed he had been acting out of character over the past few weeks, not making as many jokes or using her nicknames. He wouldn’t stick around to try to talk to her after akuma fights, and hadn’t kissed her hand. It had bothered her, since she didn’t know why, but she knew he would come to her when he was ready to talk.

“Yeah,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “I had some things I needed to work through and being typical Chat wasn’t helping.”

“Oh,” Ladybug remarked, sadness heavy in that one word. “Will things ever go back to the way they were?” It was Chat’s turn for the mask-raise and lip-press. “I mean, while I don’t miss having to turn you down, I do miss the banter. It feels weird not hearing all the puns and nicknames.”

“What was that?” Chat’s signature grin began to form on his face. “Did I just hear Ladybug say she misses her silly kitty?

Ladybug rolled her eyes, “Yes, Chat. I admit it. I miss the fun-loving kitty with his horribly timed puns.” Before he could make some sly comment, she pressed a finger to his lips. “However, I’m dating someone now, so the flirting needs to be toned down, okay?”

Chat nodded as he pulled back from her finger, “ _ Purr _ fect, milady. It just so happens that I also started dating someone recently, so I’m in the same situation as  _ mew _ .”

Ladybug laughed and shook her head at his antics. “There’s my Chaton,” she jested as she playfully nudged his shoulder, before tentatively resting her head on it. “So, we’re good?”

“Always, Bugaboo.” Chat smiled as he placed his head on top of hers to watch their city for a bit. He had been nervous to talk to Ladybug about the status of their relationship and was relieved that she had taken everything so well. He was also happy that it was still okay to be his Chat-self.

After a few minutes, Chat sat up and stretched. “Sorry, LB, but I  _ gato _ go. I still have some homework to do.” Chat stood up and reached for his bo-staff. Before he leapt off the building, he turned back to her with the sweetest smile. “Congratulations on your relationship, LB. I hope he makes you the happiest girl in the world.”

She mirrored his smile. “That means a lot, Chat Noir, thank you.” She reached for her yoyo. “I hope she’s good to you, Chat. You deserve to be happy.”

“I’m the happiest feline in  _ Purr _ is,” Chat replied with his signature two-finger salute and leapt into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...Marinette's reaction to Adrien? Ladybug and Chat's talk? I hope they were everything you thought they would be.
> 
> Next time we see the aftermath of their lunch date...
> 
> On another note, because we posted so late with Sunday's post, actually making it on Monday...the new upload schedule is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with possible Sunday posts if chapters are ready. I still have no idea how long this will be, but I won't leave it without a proper ending.


	15. Astonish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the tabloids

Adrien sat at his computer, his head resting in his hands. He knew the paparazzi could spin a tale, but the current ones were certainly competing for best fairy tale written by a delusional lunatic. There were pictures of his lunch date with Marinette, their walks to school, and even photos from his fencing tournament. The headlines went from an innocent hidden girlfriend to gold-digger ploys.

“Father is going to ground me for life,” Adrien groaned as his head slid to the desk. “There is no way he’ll let me see Marinette after all this.”

Plagg, who had been cackling at some of the more outlandish stories, turned to his charge. “Don’t worry so much. If he hasn’t summoned you by now, he probably won’t.”

“Do you know how much work it’s going to take to clean this mess up? It will probably take the whole legal team days to squash all these rumors,” Adrien stood up just to fall face first into his bed. “I’ve really screwed up this time.”

“Kit, go to bed,” Plagg advised as he hovered over Adrien. “You need to be able to function tomorrow.”

“Why’s that, Plagg, so I can sit here and watch the world go by again?”

“Two words,” Plagg answered, though he knew his kit was being sarcastic. “Bakery Girl.”

Adrien shot straight out of bed. Plagg was right. While Adrien was used to the paparazzi, Marinette had no idea what kind of jackals they were. Adrien glanced at his clock, noting it was just after midnight. Too late to talk to Marinette or his father. Sighing, Adrien crawled under the covers, not entirely sure he wanted tomorrow to come.

\---

A sharp knock woke Adrien before his alarm the next morning. Without an answer, Nathalie walked in from the far door. “Your father would like to speak with you in 20 minutes.”

“Thank you, Nathalie,” Adrien replied with a sigh. He got up as Nathalie left and went to his bathroom to get ready. After a quick shower, he dressed in a black sweater over a pale grey button-down that he paired with black pants and black dress shoes. With Plagg tucked, warm and secure, into Adrien’s breast pocket, he grabbed his school bag and headed to his father’s atelier.

Adrien took a deep breath and knocked on the door, nervously waiting for an answer from the other side. At Gabriel’s acknowledgement, Adrien opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

“Adrien,” Gabriel began, his tone cold and even. “I would expect better from you. Your outing yesterday is causing me unnecessary work.” Gabriel’s eyes seemed to pierce through Adrien. “Maybe some time away from Ms. Dupain-Cheng, as well as the rest of that group, will help you refocus.”

“I’m sorry for the trouble I caused, Father. Please don’t blame Marinette or the others,” Adrien answered, hoping his voice didn’t betray his internal panic at the thought of being confined again. “What can I do to help clean up the mess I made?”

“We are releasing an official statement this afternoon confirming your relationship with Ms. Dupain-Cheng and denying the rest of the outlandish claims. You are to inform Ms. Dupain-Cheng of this and bring her here this afternoon to work with Maurice.”

Adrien was stunned. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this, but questioning it would probably be a bad thing. “Thank you, Father. I’ll tell her this morning.”

Gabriel nodded and turned his attention back to his tablet. As Adrien’s hand touched the door, Gabriel spoke once more, “Adrien, if this happens again, I will not hesitate to withdraw you from school and continue your education here.”

“I understand. Have a good day, Father.”

\---

Marinette woke to her phone ringing incessantly in her ear with Alya’s ringtone. “Lo?”

“Marinette!” Alya shrieked, causing Marinette to hold the phone away from her ear. “You are all over the net girl! You are trending higher than Ladybug!”

Marinette, who was still half asleep despite her friend’s yelling, was trying hard to keep up. “Alya, what are you talking about?”

She heard the tell-tale beep of text messages coming through. “Check those out and I’ll see you in class.” Alya’s chuckling rang in her ears as her best friend hung up the phone.

Marinette opened up her phone to find over 50 messages in the class group chat, four from Adrien, and over a dozen from Alya. Ignoring the class and Adrien, for now, she opened up her chat window with Alya and clicked on the first link. Staring back at her was a photo of her and Adrien hugging in the alcove where they expressed their feelings for each other. She blanched when she read the headline of the article:  _ Adrien Agreste in Secret Relationship: What will happen to his other girl?  _

Marinette closed out the article and opened two more before she threw her phone on her bed, falling next to it and screaming into her pillow. Was this why Adrien was always seemed on edge, or maybe like he was performing, when they were all out in public? Was this something she would have to deal with as well if she dated him? Was she willing to have her privacy invaded like this all the time? What about her parents?

“Marinette,” Tikki called softly to her companion. She had seen a few of the articles Marinette had pulled up, the last one making her out to be just another girl after Adrien for his wealth. “You shouldn’t get upset. None of it is true and Adrien knows that.”

“What about his father, Tikki? My friends at school? My parents? His fans?” Marinette rattled off as she felt the tears pricking her eyes. “I can’t go to school today, Tikki.”

“You will be fine, Marinette,” Tikki assured as she rubbed a paw on Marinette’s cheek. “You can’t hide in here forev—”

“Marinette!” Tom’s voice called up from the floor below. Tikki ducked out of view as the hatch opened. “Adrien just called. He’s coming over early to talk to you.”

Marinette’s eyes went wide and she dashed out of bed. She had to get ready quickly so she could talk to her parents before he got there. She put on a pink and grey striped sweater dress with a black belt around the middle, grey leggings and black boots. She pulled her hair into a braid over her left shoulder, and went downstairs to talk to her mom.

“Hey, Papa,” Marinette started as she made her breakfast. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Cupcake,” Tom answered, coming to sit at the table. 

“Well, it’s about Adrien, I guess. The gossip columns got photos of us and they are writing horrible stories about us.”

“Don’t worry, Marinette. As long as those who know and love you understand that they’re just lies, then the rest doesn’t matter. Your mother and I love you and support your decision. We will keep those jackals off you as much as we can.”

Marinette jumped into her father’s arms, comforted by the warmth and love the mountain of a man gave. No matter what might happen, she had her parents.

There was a quick knock on the door before it opened and Adrien stepped through. Marinette raised an eyebrow at his monochromatic wardrobe choice for today, but decided not to say anything. She wasn’t feeling very colorful either.

“Good morning, Mr. Dupain. Hey, Marinette,” Adrien greeted. He made no effort to come further into the house than necessary.

“Good morning, Adrien,” Tom called back. “I’ll leave you two to talk.” Tom took his leave, placing a hand on Adrien’s shoulder and giving him a reassuring smile as he passed.

Adrien watched the door close than slowly turned to find Marinette looking down at the table. He took a few tentative steps forward, stopping on the other side of the table from her. “Marinette, I’m so sorry. I should’ve been more careful—”

“It’s okay,” Marinette interrupted. “You didn’t ask for this life. I should’ve known this was a possibility and it’s something I’ll have to get used to, I guess.” She looked up at him, the small smile she was trying to convey slipped when she saw the unease in his eyes. “What’s wrong, Adrien? Did your father say something to you?”

Adrien nodded. “He said they’re making a formal statement about us this afternoon and you should come with me after school to talk to our image coach.” He winced as he told her, hating that he had dragged her into this without any real warning

Marinette sat for a second longer, processing the information. She stood, walked around the table, and wrapped her arms around Adrien’s torso. “Okay.” She felt his arms curl around her back and pulling her closer. “If that is what we need to do, then let’s get it done.”

“You are really okay with this?” Adrien asked, pulling away to look down at her. The determination in her eyes reminded him of Ladybug.

“In all honesty, not really,” she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. “But I care about you and I still want to give this a chance. If this is what I have to do in order to date you, then I’ll do it.”

Adrien wrapped her tightly again, tears pricking his eyes. He had been so afraid she would leave him when she found out what was happening. He should learn to never underestimate the girl in his arms. She was full of surprises, but more than that, she always stood by her friends.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her hair.

She pulled back and ran her thumb along his cheekbone. “Anytime.” She kissed his cheek and walked over to grab her bag. “Now, let’s go face those harpies.”

They walked out of the bakery hand-in-hand, not paying any attention to the shouting from across the street. The entrance to the school was crawling with reporters. Marinette felt Adrien slow a bit as the neared the school, but she squeezed his hand and gently pulled on it. They slowly made their way through the crowd, and Marinette turned back around once they were at the top of the stairs.

“Before we go in, I would like to clarify a few things,” Marinette announced to the crowd in front of them. “Adrien and I started dating yesterday. I am not dating him because he has money or connections. I am dating him because he is a wonderful person with a beautiful soul. Now, please leave us and our families alone.”

\---

Adrien and Marinette were hanging out in his room after her meeting with Maurice. He had been impressed by her, but Gabriel expected more. Maurice gave her a book to study and set an appointment in one week’s time to see what she had learned. Nathalie had also come by to tell them that the official statement from the Agreste household had been made, though it had to be modified a bit due to Marinette’s ‘stunt.’ Now, they were just sitting on Adrien's couch watching a movie.

Well, Marinette was watching the movie. Adrien couldn't stop watching Marinette's reactions as the movie progressed. He couldn't get over how cute she was. 

After the movie was over, he decided to ask her something that had been on his mind since yesterday. "Marinette, has anyone asked you to the Winter Formal?"

She turned to look at him. "Not yet."

Adrien took her hand. "Marinette, will you allow me to escort you to the Winter Formal?"

Marinette's face broke out into a wide smile. "Yes!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our little love bugs are a-ok and going to the dance together! Next time it's nothing but fluff!!


	16. Stitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien visits Marinette after a trip and has a surprise for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is a reference to weight loss in this chapter. There is nothing specific, but it may upset some. I am sorry if it does. You can read over that spot, as is it the paragraph after the first break, without breaking the flow of the chapter.

“What do you think, Tikki?” Marinette asked as she walked around the dress form one more time. She had just finished Alya’s dress for the Winter Formal — a floor-length jade silk A-line gown with an off-the-shoulder surplice neckline. Alya had picked the fabric herself a year ago while on a shopping trip with Marinette, knowing the designer would make something fabulous with it.

“It’s beautiful, Marinette!” Tikki confirmed, twirling in the air. “I can’t believe you finished it so quickly!”

Marinette had only been working on completing the gown for about two weeks, but the pattern was done months ago. All that was left was the final fitting and the second of three outfits would be complete. Nino already had his outfit — a white single-breasted suit and a white dress shirt with a tie and vest set that were made from the same fabric as Alya’s dress. She took the dress off the form, placed it in a garment bag, and hung it up before proceeding to start on the third, and possibly final, outfit she had to make for the dance. She hadn’t had been able to talk to Adrien about making his suit before he was sent on a surprise trip to Milan. 

She sighed heavily at the thought of his impromptu trip. It had been four days since she last saw Adrien in person and she was beginning to have withdrawals. She didn’t notice how much time she had been spending with Adrien until he wasn’t there. Sure, they face-timed every night, but it wasn’t the same. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow when she would see him at school again.

Marinette had been so lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice Tikki dashing to her hiding place or the hatch to her room opening. She jumped and fell into her dress form as she was startled by the voice of the very person she had been thinking of.

“Marinette,” Adrien called as he ascended the stairs into her room and ran over when he saw her fall. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What — Why — How — ” Marinette sputtered as she stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of her. “I thought you were in Milan until tomorrow.”

Adrien shrugged and offered a hand to help her up. “Nathalie told me last night we were leaving early this morning. I didn’t want to say anything in case it was changed again.” He used her hand to pull her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her as he buried his face in her neck. “I missed you so much.”

Marinette returned the gesture quickly and with just as much fervor. “I missed you too.” She reveled in the warmth of his embrace until he slowly let her go. She turned to pick up her dress form. “So, how was the trip? You were really vague all week.”

Adrien again shrugged as he helped her steady the form. “Wow, Marinette. What is this for?” He asked, holding a piece of the ice-blue brocade fabric hanging off the form.

“I’m working on my dress for the dance,” she answered, worried that he had changed the subject, but didn’t push. “My sketchbook is open to it if you want to see what it’ll look like when it’s done.”

Adrien walked over to her desk and took a seat in the desk chair. He looked over the open page of her pad and marveled at the outfits she had designed. He could see each one was drawn with not only the person’s silhouette, but also their taste and personality in mind. The first two were Alya’s simple green dress and Nino’s white suit. Below those was her dress -- an ice blue brocade v-neck dress with a low v in the back and a thick ice-blue snowflake-patterned organza border. The organza also came up the front of the skirt, which had a slight hi-low hem that would show off whatever shoes were worn. A thin silver belt completed her design.

“Who’s this one for?” Adrien inquired as he pointed to the suit beside Marinette’s dress.

“Oh, that. It’s ahh--” Marinette stammered when she saw where he was pointing. “It was just an idea for a suit to match my dress. I guess I got carried away while I was sketching.”

“Do you have time to make it?” Adrien implored as he looked at her hopefully. “I would much rather wear something you designed and made than something Father did.”

Marinette stood there blinking her wide eyes at him, completely stunned. “Are you sure you can?” 

Adrien nodded. “I’ll talk to Nathalie about it, but I’m sure Father would be interested to see your work, and I would love to wear a Marinette Dupain-Cheng original.”

“If you think it would be okay, then yeah, I have the time. I mean, I already finished Alya and Nino’s, so that only leaves mine.” She walked over to look through her fabric. “I will have to go get the fabric, since I wasn’t really planning on making it--”

“Then let’s go,” Adrien exclaimed as he jumped out of Marinette’s desk chair and grabbed her hand. “Your mom said you’ve been up here every minute you haven’t been at school this week and you need a break.”

Marinette followed Adrien downstairs and to his waiting car to head out in search of the perfect fabrics. She picked out a beautiful wool silk blend fabric in a light grey that had the slight shimmer she was looking for, a light grey bemberg fabric for lining the suit, more fabric for the button-down shirt and all the assorted threads and buttons she would need. She started to argue when he insisted he pay for her purchases, but quickly gave in when she saw how happy it made him.

**\---**

After having dinner with her parents, Marinette and Adrien went back up to her room. It was too late for her to continue working on her dress, so she settled for making sure the measurements she had for Adrien were correct. It concerned her that his numbers had gone down by about half an inch, as he was already pretty thin when she took his measurements for last year’s school play about six months ago. She decided to not say anything, however, as she knew it was a touchy subject for him.

“So, what do you want to do? We only have about three hours before you have to go,” Marinette inquired as they sat on the chaise.

“Do you mind if we just watch a movie? I don’t really want to think right now.” Adrien stated quietly. 

Marinette nodded and stood to get her laptop. She returned and Adrien curled up with her, his arms a little tighter than normal. She snuggled in and set the laptop to play  _ Lilo and Stitch. _

“Adrien, is everything okay?” Marinette whispered as the opening credits played, gently running a hand through his hair. 

He sighed and shook his head. He should’ve known he wouldn’t be able to play it off with her. “I’m just upset about having to go to Milan, as well as stressed about fashion week.” He pulled her closer and nuzzled into her shoulder. “I didn’t really do anything on the trip I couldn’t have done here. That was annoying enough, but Father gets overly critical of everything right now, including me.” He sighed and linked his hand in hers. “Up until now, I haven’t had anyone I could confide in about the stress and fear of letting Father down. Knowing that you are here for me has made things easier this year.” He paused to look up at her. “So I asked Father if I could invite you to the opening gala for Fashion Week and he agreed. He was actually going to offer the invitation anyway.”

Marinette’s mind short-circuited for the third time that day. Gabriel wants  _ her _ to attend the opening gala to Fashion Week? Was this a good thing? It would be a great boost to her career, being able to talk to all the big names in fashion, but what about her statement to Gabriel about not riding the coattails of his family? She had meant it when she said it at dinner, so would this count?

“I don’t know, Adrien,” Marinette started hesitantly. “I meant what I said about not wanting to use you to get into the fashion world and --”

“Marinette,” Adrien called softly as he stopped her with a finger placed gently against her mouth. “You would be doing no such thing. I want you there, as my date. It would make everything much more bearable to have you with me all night.”

Marinette’s resolve crumbled at his words and the soft expression he was giving her. “Alright,” she conceded. “But what would I wear? I don’t have anything worthy and nowhere near enough time to put something together.”

Adrien grinned, “Father designed something specifically for you. He asked that I bring you by tomorrow for a fitting.”

Marinette didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. This night just kept getting better. She was going to  _ the _ fashion event of the season, on the arm of the most handsome boy in the world, wearing a  _ Gabriel _ original? She could die happy now.

“That sounds great,” she whispered, giving him a kiss on his forehead. They settled back in and watched the movie, content in each other’s company.

\---

Marinette sat in the car the next afternoon, nervous about their destination. Adrien reached over and placed his hand on hers, trying to help calm her as they pulled into Gabriel headquarters. She was here to be fitted in the dress she would wear to her first official appearance with Adrien.

They entered the building and were led to two separate rooms by Nathalie. Marinette timidly stepped into the room and her world stopped. On the form in front of her was a scarlet ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice was covered in crystals that stopped at the waistline, and placed sparsely around the skirt. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Marinette was at a loss of words.

“Ah, you must be Marinette,” a woman called from behind the form. Her brown hair was pulled into a French twist and her brown eyes hid behind glasses. “I’m Monique and I will be fitting you today.”

“Hello,” Marinette answered shyly as she made her way over, still afraid to get close to the dress. “Did you make this?”

“Mr. Agreste designed it, but I sewed it together,” Monique answered as she took the dress off the form and led Marinette to a dressing room. “You can change here. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

After taking a moment to timidly run her hand over the dress, Marinette changed and returned to the main room. Monique was standing by a raised platform in front of a three-way mirror. Marinette kept her eyes on the floor until she made it to the dias.

“Please put these on, darling. We need to make sure the hem will work,” Monique instructed as she handed Marinette a pair of red four-inch stilettos with the same crystals at the toes and heel, a thin strap going across the top of her foot to secure them.

Marinette slipped the shoes on and stepped onto the platform, still refusing to look at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t ready to look, to believe that this was happening.

“You look exquisite, my dear,” Monique cooed as she moved around the dress, pulling and adjusting. “It fits like a dream already. Just a quick adjustment to the hem and it will be perfect.”

Marinette finally looked up and gasped. She couldn’t believe the person staring back at her was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The dress was fit for a princess, and the shoes were some of the most comfortable she had ever worn. She slowly turned, watching the way the dress moved and caught the light. It was gorgeous.

“Alright, my star. Time to change so I can get the adjustments made.” Monique stated, moving Marinette toward the changing room and noting her slower movements. “I’m guessing you’re not used to heels.”

Marinette shook her head. “I’m honestly a klutz, so I stay in flats with maybe the occasional low heel.”

Monique nodded her understanding. “We’ve all been there, my star. I will find another pair similar to these so you can practice at home. You will be walking like a princess in no time.”

Marinette changed back into her clothes and handed the dress back to Monique, still in awe that she was allowed to wear it. True to her word, Monique had found a pair of black shoes identical to the red ones, minus the stones. Marinette shrugged and put them on instead of her ballet flats. She was just standing up when the door opened and Adrien entered, followed by Nathalie.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien greeted as he closed the distance and took her hand. “How was the fitting?”

“It was wonderful. Monique was great and the dress is gorgeous,” Marinette remarked as they made their way out. She turned and waved, “Thank you again, Monique.”

The door closed and the pair followed Nathalie toward the entrance. As they rode the elevator back to the main floor, Adrien leaned over and placed his head on Marinette’s shoulder, humming a little in content. Marinette smiled as she felt him relax a bit more at the extra contact. She decided she would master walking in high heels, noting it would be difficult with her klutz record, but it didn’t matter. She knew without a doubt in her mind that Adrien would be there if she fell, ready to catch her as she was always ready to catch him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had plans for this chapter being 100% fluff, but Gabe here had to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into my plans. I promise I fought for a fluffy chapter, but he didn't budge. I have since put him in his office to think about what he has done and we will get fluff in the next two chapters. Stay tuned!


	17. Illustrious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse into Adrien's life during the Fall Fashion Week chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, there is talk about weight and diets...please be advised. It is at the beginning of the chapter, so it is easily avoided.

“Stop.” Gabriel’s harsh voice cut through the low music in the background. “Are you not taking this event seriously?”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Adrien started, only to be quieted by his father’s hand.

“Don’t be sorry, be better. Your gait is too wide and fast for the music, your expression leaves something to be desired, and those clothes are still too tight,” Gabriel noted without the slightest hint of emotion. “You will continue on your diet and start an exercise regimen until they fit properly, and correct yourself immediately. Now, go back and start again.”

Adrien moved to the beginning of the small walkway and waited for the music to start again. He was trying his best, but this week had been exhausting, and there was still another week before the opening gala and Fall Fashion Week. After a few more passes, he was finally allowed to change into his regular clothes and instructed to return to Gabriel’s atelier.

Adrien made his way back and stood by the door. “You wanted to see me, Father?”

“I will be unable to attend the opening gala for Fashion Week. As the heir of this company, you will take my place next to Nathalie.” Gabriel looked up from his tablet. “You need to start learning how to run this company, Adrien, not just benefit from it. As such, you will be shadowing employees from varying departments during your breaks from school in addition to your modeling responsibilities and lessons.”

“Yes, Father,” Adrien replied with resignation. He had hoped to discuss his future with Gabriel, but Adrien knew the tone in his father’s voice meant there was no room for negotiation. “May I go?”

Gabriel waved dismissively and turned his attention back to whatever project was on his tablet.

Adrien walked back to his room. While he didn’t want to be CEO of Gabriel, he should’ve known his dreams and desires wouldn’t be taken into consideration, even if he had voiced them. His future had been laid out for him the moment he was born, and he was supposed to follow the plan without argument or hesitation. He wouldn’t be surprised if his father had already chosen a wife for him, too. Adrien just hoped he had a say in who he spent his life with, because there was a beautiful, smart, and compassionate aspiring designer that he was becoming more smitten with every day.

\---

The next week flew by for Adrien in a whirlwind of photoshoots, interviews, and practices on top of school, homework, lessons, and Chat duties. By Friday morning, he felt like a zombie as he made his way to school. He noticed Marinette looking almost as tired as he sat down next to her.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Alya inquired, leaning over her desk to flick Marinette’s messy bun. “You both look like the walking dead.”

“Give it a rest, Alya,” Marinette groaned as she buried her face in Adrien’s shoulder. “It’s been a long two weeks and we still have to get through the gala tomorrow.”

“What has kept you so busy, hmm?” Alya continued. “I thought you were just going as Adrien’s plus 1.”

“I’ve been working with Maurice.” Marinette looked back at her friend with an expression that clearly indicated that she was done with the conversation before resting her head back on Adrien’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” Adrien whispered into her hair. “I didn’t know it would be this stressful on you too, or I wouldn’t--”

“Please stop,” Marinette whispered back, her blue eyes looking up to meet his green ones. “I want to do this, Adrien. Maurice told me what was going on and I want to help. We will get through tomorrow together, okay?”

Adrien reached for Marinette’s hand, which she had placed on his thigh when he sat down, and brought it up to brush a kiss on her knuckles. “Sounds perfect, Marinette.”

\---

Adrien stood at the entrance to the ballroom at  _ Le Grand Paris, _ welcoming everyone as they passed. It was a tedious and boring task, and Adrien could not wait until Marinette arrived. 

“Adrien, you look fabulous,” Audrey Bourgeois complemented, taking in his black tux and white shirt with red bow tie and vest. “Where is your father?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Bourgeois, but Father was called away. Nathalie will be back in a moment if you need to discuss business.” Adrien recited for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Adrichou,” Chloe called, hugging him and giving air kisses. “You owe me a dance for not bringing me as your date this year.”

Adrien untangled himself from her and the monstrosity that was her yellow ball gown. “As you wish, Chloe.”

“I saw Dupain-Cheng outside,” Chloe whispered as she leaned in. “She doesn’t look nearly as good as I do, but she cleans up well enough.” Before Adrien could respond, Chloe winked and walked off. He shrugged. At least Chloe didn’t completely insult his date.

A few more guests passed before Adrien caught the sight of red in his peripheral. He turned to greet his date and he was temporarily stunned. Marinette stood in front of him in her dress, her blue-black hair pulled into a waterfall French braid with the ends curling over her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle, allowing her natural beauty to shine through.

“Evening, Adrien,” Marinette greeted quietly. “You look great.”

“Not half as good as you do. You’re positively radiant.” Adrien countered, giving her a chaste kiss on her cheek before offering his arm. He still had about half an hour before he could leave the door, but Marinette stayed by his side and greeted the press and VIPs as they arrived.

Once Nathalie relieved them, Adrien and Marinette made their way into the ballroom and were pulled into a conversation with a reporter from  _ L’Officiel. _ “Adrien, what is the status of the spring collection? We have been waiting weeks to hear something from  _ Gabriel _ .”

“The spring collection is a global theme,” Marinette answered. “ _ Gabriel _ currently has designers traveling the globe, taking inspiration from multiple cultures to incorporate into the collection. I’m sure Mr. Agreste will have a preview ready within the month.”

“Fantastic, Ms.--”

“Dupain-Cheng,” she replied. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

The reporter nodded and thanked them before walking away to her next interview. Adrien looked over to Marinette. “That was a great answer.”

“I was only repeating what Maurice drilled into my head,” Marinette admitted. “We weren’t just going over how to eat and walk these past two weeks.”

The couple continued to flit through the room, answering questions and making conversations. Adrien marveled at how easily Marinette melded into the situation. She exuded confidence, even though he could feel her shaking a bit on his arm. By the time they sat down to eat, her shaking had calmed.

“I can’t believe the gowns here,” she whispered as they ate. “This is a designer’s dream come true.”

Adrien quietly smiled and nodded as Marinette went into exuberant detail about which outfits she loved and which she thought should never see the light of day. He had to admit that she really did make this night not just bearable, but enjoyable. Her enthusiasm was contagious and he was more than willing to be caught up in it.

Soon dinner was over and the chamber orchestra began playing a beautiful waltz. Adrien held out his hand as he stood from his chair. “May I have this dance?”

“I don’t know, Adrien.” Marinette bit her lip as she looked from his outstretched hand to the cleared dance floor. “I’d rather not open up the opportunity to humiliate myself in front of everyone.”

“Do you trust me?”

Marinette looked up and saw a small smirk on his lips. She had to giggle at his  _ Aladdin _ reference as she placed her hand in his. She did trust him, almost as much as she trusted Chat. 

When they reached the dance floor, Adrien moved them into position and Marinette couldn’t help but remember their first dance at Chloe’s party as he lead her around the dance floor. She lost herself in the feeling of their movements and the music, secretly wishing that this could last forever. She tripped a few times, but Adrien was able to counter her each time so no one saw. 

After a few dances, Adrien excused himself to dance with Chloe, and Marinette made her way back to the table to rest. She jumped when she heard a chair move, and looked up to see Chloe’s mother take a seat next to her.

“So, you’re dating Adrien?” Audrey started without any fanfare. “You two seem-” She searched for a word. “Good, together.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bourgeois,” Marinette replied, wondering where this conversation was heading.

“I have been keeping an eye on you, and your talent continues to impress me.” Audrey took a sip from her glass as she looked Marinette over. “My offer is still open for you to come to New York.”

“That is very kind, but I can’t leave Paris.”

Audrey waved her words away. “Fine. I was going to stay in Paris for a while, anyway.”

“I don’t understand,” Marinette stated, her eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you need to stay here?”

“I want you to feature in  _ Style Queen _ as an up and coming designer.” Audrey stood up. “I want three designs delivered to my suite no later than Friday after next by noon.”

Marinette was practically vibrating when Adrien returned to her. “Adrien, you won’t believe what just happened.” She grabbed his hand to ground herself. “Audrey Bourgeois just requested three original designs to feature in her magazine.”

“That’s great, Marinette!” Adrien wrapped her in a tight hug. “I knew you would turn heads in the fashion world.”

\---

The rest of the week went by in a flash for Adrien. He was absent from school while he attended events throughout the city. Thankfully, he got to see Marinette every night after he was done so she could drop off his notes and homework. It wasn’t ideal for either of them, but they cherished the time they got.

Saturday and the fashion show finally arrived. Adrien was a mix of nervous and excited energy, as this was the last event of the week. After this and the after party was done, he could go see Marinette. Well, that was his plan anyway. He knew he had to get this perfect or his father would probably spend the rest of the night letting him know everything he did wrong.

“Calm down, Kit,” Plagg grumbled from his place on top of the bookshelf. “You’ll do great and then you can go see Baker Girl.”

  
“You do know she has a name, right?” Adrien asked, glancing in the mirror at his kwami.

_ I know more about her than you think _ , the tiny cat thought to himself. He just shrugged. 

A knock on Adrien’s dressing room door interrupted their conversation. He sighed and plastered on his best model smile. It was time to go to work.

Four hours later, he found himself outside the Dupain-Cheng residence, ringing the doorbell. He heard hurried footsteps drumming down the stairs before the door flew open to reveal a flustered Marinette.

“Adrien, what are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn’t be able to come by until tomorrow.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ground. “I got done early. I wanted to see if you wanted to get coffee with me.”

She reached out and pulled him inside and into a bear hug. “Be right back.” She ran back upstairs and a few moments later, was back in front of him with her coat, sliding on her boots. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is better for destressing than good friends and wine...but they are too young, so they have to settle for coffee. Oh well, FLUFF will occur next chapter, I promise. Gabriel is stuck in his elevator, so he can't bother our sweet kids. Until next time!


	18. Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get some insights into Adrinette time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy these little snippets of our two children enjoying fluffy times! Let the fluff fest begin!

Adrien placed a hot chocolate in front of Marinette before sliding into the booth next to her. They were at a coffee shop around the corner from the bakery, enjoying the warmth after the brisk walk to get here. 

Marinette wrapped her hands around the offered cup and sighed. While she loved autumn and winter as a fashion designer, she wasn’t happy with the cold they brought, especially now that she was tied to a bug that hibernated. She moved closer to Adrien, soaking in the natural warmth he provided. Her mind wandered to the suit she was about to make for him, wondering if her material choices would be too warm.

“How’s the drink?” Adrien asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

“It’s really good.” She smiled up at him. “The company’s better.” A blush crept across Adrien’s cheeks, making Marinette giggle. “My parents and I watched the show tonight. You looked great.”

“Thanks. I’m just glad it’s over for the year.” Adrien leaned his head back against the bench and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax. “Though I don’t know if things are going to get much better.”

“Why do you say that?” Marinette sat up so she could see his face. His eyes were still closed, but his expression was sad, almost defeated in a way.

“Father decided I need to start learning to run of the company so I can eventually take over. As such, I'll be shadowing different employees during our breaks.”

“Oh.” They had talked before about Adrien’s desire to do anything other than run his father’s company. She felt horrible that he was once again being forced to do something that he didn’t want to do, but she wasn’t sure what she could say to make it better.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "I thought you should know. I don’t know how much free time I'll have with this being added to my schedule.”

“We made it work this time, didn’t we?” She asked as she cradled his face with her hand. “We'll get through it. Don’t worry about us.”

He nuzzled her hand and nodded. Marinette always knew what to say to calm his worries. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“I was going to spend the day working on my dress for the formal. I’m almost done and then I can start on your suit.” They stood, and he held the door as they left. “You're more than welcome to come sit with me. I may not be good company, though.”

“I would love to watch you work, and I have some homework to finish before Monday. It'd be easier to ask you questions if we're in the same room.”

“I don’t think you’ll need my help, Mr. Straight As,” Marinette teased as they came up to the bakery. “But I’m willing to help where I can and Mamon and Papa would love to see you, too.”

“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow around 10 a.m. then?"

"Sounds great."

Adrien leaned down and kissed her cheek as his car came around the corner. "Goodnight, Marinette."

“Goodnight, Adrien. Sweet dreams.” Marinette made sure Adrien was in the car before she stepped into the house and locked the door. She waved out the window and watched as he waved back before the car left.

\---

Marinette was working on the intricate beadwork for the bottom of her dress when she heard a knock on her trap door. “Come in.”

Adrien lifted the door and bounded up the rest of the stairs to her room. “Morning, Marinette,” he greeted with a huge smile on his face.

Marinette smiled back at him, happy to see him smiling again. “Hey, Adrien. Make yourself at home.”

He plopped himself on her chaise and brought out his tablet. He still had a paper to write and the worksheet for chemistry to finish. He brought up the worksheet as he heard humming from the other side of the room. He looked over to see Marinette deep in concentration, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she carefully weaved her needle through the fabric and beads in time with the song she was humming.

“What song is that, Marinette?” Adrien asked. It was one he didn’t recognize.

“Huh?” Marinette looked up at him and blinked a few times. “Oh, the song. It’s one Maman hums all the time while she’s working in the bakery. I don’t know what it’s called.”

“It’s pretty,” Adrien complimented as he turned his attention back to his homework. He made a mental note to ask Mrs. Cheng what the name of the song was. Maybe he could look it up and learn to play it for the next time Marinette came over to the house.

An hour or so later, Marinette looked up to see Adrien sprawled out on his stomach typing on his laptop. “Hey, is it okay if I play some music? I have a classical playlist that I normally listen to when I work. I can make another one if you don’t want to listen to classical, though. I know you have to play it all the time, so—”

“It’s fine, Marinette,” Adrien assured her. “I like classical.”

The air was filled with violin and piano music as they quietly worked on their projects. Marinette was able to finish the beadwork on her gown and pin it in place, while Adrien completed his homework. They battled on various video games until dinner.

After Adrien returned home, he collapsed into his bed, happy to have spent an entire day with Marinette. Just being around her was enough to lighten his mood and make his life brighter. They had talked randomly throughout their time together today, but for the most part, they had just kept each other company while they worked. Adrien could imagine that being an everyday occurrence in his adult life. Coming home to find the love of his life finishing up dinner so they could sit down to a home cooked meal and talk about their days, followed by quiet evenings of reading or working on paperwork while she enjoyed an interest of hers. He smiled, watching the scene unfold behind his eyelids as he drifted off to sleep.

\---

Adrien looked in the mirror, pleased with his costume. Nino joined him, making sure his own costume was in order. “Dude, how do I look? Alya will kill me if I don’t get this right.”

Adrien turned away from the mirror so his friend wouldn’t see the smirk that graced his face for a second. Leave it to Nino and Alya to go to Chloe’s Halloween party dressed as Paris’ Super Duo. He giggled at the irony of Nino coming to the actual Chat Noir to make sure his costume was ‘authentic.’ He walked around Nino, checking to make sure his tail, ears, and bell were all in place.

“There,” Adrien said with a flourish. “You make a fantastic Chat.”

“You are taking this whole character thing too far, Dude.” Nino facepalmed as Adrien strutted to the door.

“Come now, Nino. We mustn’t keep our ladies waiting.” Adrien winked as Nino walked by. “If you are going to be Chat, you should act like him.”

Nino sighed. “You’re _purr_ fectly right, Adrien.” It was going to be a long night.

Adrien’s car pulled up in front of the bakery and the girls hopped inside before heading to _Le Grand Paris._ Nino and Alya stepped out followed by Adrien and Marinette. They were met by Chloe and Sabrina, who were dressed as Cinderella and one of the step-sisters.

“How did I know you would go so mainstream, Césaire?” Chloé scoffed as she greeted them.

“Says the girl dressed as a mainstream princess,” Alya sassed back.

“Not tonight, girls.” Marinette pushed in between the two girls. “Let’s just enjoy the party, okay?” They both agreed, and Chloe greeted Nino before the couple walked inside.

“Chloe," Adrien scolded as he gave her a hug. "I thought you agreed to start trying to be nicer."

“I am, Adrichou. Can’t you see me trying?”

Marinette pulled Chloe into a hug. “We understand. Maybe you should start by apologizing. She is dressed as your idol, after all.”

Chloe shrugged as if indifferent, but stepped away from Marinette in the direction of the costumed superhero duo. If Adrien and Ladybug believed in her, she was willing to give it a try.

“Shall we?” Adrien held out his hand for Marinette, which she eagerly took.

“Love your costumes,” Sabrina said as they came to greet her. “That’s one of my favorite movies.”

“Mine too,” Adrien added as he gave her a hug, careful not to knock the jacket off his shoulders. It was a special request he had asked Marinette for last year, but had been unable to wear. Now, she had the coordinating outfit to go with his costume. They really did make a convincing Howl and Sophie.

“Shall we dance?” Adrien asked as the DJ started up.

“Are you going to be talking like that all night?” Marinette asked as he led her to the dance floor.

“What’s the fun of dressing up if I can’t act too?” Adrien retorted as he spun her. She giggled and it was music to his ears.

“Fine. I don’t think I can ‘get into character,’ though. I’m not an actress.”

“I think that was a perfect impression of Sophie.” He winked.

“You just aren’t going to give up are you?”

“Nope. You need to branch out of your comfort zone, Marinette. How do you know you aren’t a good actress? Have you ever tried?”

“Once, for a school play. It was a disaster.” She shook her head. “I’m better in the background with the costumes than out on stage.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all,” Adrien countered as he pulled her in close.

“Trust me, it is.”

“Then prove it,” Adrien smirked as Marinette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “There’s a school musical in the spring. Try out with me.”

She huffed. “Why did I ever agree to date you?”

“Because you think I’m cute,” Adrien smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

“That I do,” Marinette groaned as she pushed him back by his forehead. “That, and so much more.” She snuggled into his embrace and let all her cares melt away as they danced.

Eventually, Nino and Alya joined them and the quartet of friends spent the rest of the night enjoying the party.

\---

Marinette groaned as she ripped another page out of her sketchbook and threw it in the general direction of her trash can. She had finished two of the designs for Audrey Bourgeois, but this last design was eluding her and she only had two more days before the deadline.

Adrien was ascending the stairs when he heard a loud growl followed by a thump. He ran the rest of the way, fearing Marinette’s clumsy streak had returned. He sighed in relief when he saw she had just dropped her head on her desk. “What’s wrong?”

“Adrien!” Marinette squeaked as she lifted her head. “I thought you had fencing practice.”

“Mr. D’Argencourt let us go early, so I thought I would stop by to lend some moral support. I know you’ve been stressed lately.”

“Sorry,” Marinette whispered as she hung her head.

Adrien softly lifted her face to look at him. “No need to apologize. You can’t be strong all the time. Let me be here for you like you have been for me, okay?”

She smiled. “Okay.” She looked back at her sketchbook. “I just can’t get this last design for Audrey Bourgeois done.”

Adrien looked over her shoulder at the two designs already finished. One was a cute spaghetti-strap red sundress with a flared skirt and a black lace inlay under the bust line to the waist. The other was a men’s three-piece design encompassing black jeans and a black leather jacket, both with silver studs and stitching, as well as a bright green shirt.

“These are great, Mari. I’m sure you’ll come up with the third in no time.”

She looked over her shoulder, a quizzical expression coming over her features. “What’s with the shortened name?”

“What, Mari?” 

She nodded. 

“I thought it was cute, like you. Do you not like it?”

“No, it’s fine. You just never called me that before today, so I was just curious.” Marinette turned back to her open book, internally squealing at the fact that Adrien had given her a nickname.

“I like the theme of your designs. They’re very subtle in their nod to the superheroes of Paris, unlike most of the designs I’ve seen. Most are so over the top it’s ridiculous.”

“Thanks. Now if I could just get this last one--” she trailed off as her mind began working again.

“What about the new heroes, Rena and Carapace?”

Marinette’s eyes grew wide. She had been so focused on herself and Chat, she completely neglected the two newest heroes. Her hand flew across the paper as two more designs emerged. The first was a dark green suit jacket, black pants, and white shirt. The jacket and pants had a very subtle shell design. The other was a stunning off the shoulder A-line ball gown in orange with white and black embroidery on the bodice.

“Wow, Mari. Those are great additions to the other two.”

“You think so?” She turned to see Adrien nodding his head, causing her to smile. “I do too.” She jumped up and tackled him in a hug. “Thank you, Adrien! I was so focused on Ladybug and Chat Noir I forgot about our newest heroes.”

“Glad I could help.” Adrien sat up but refused to let Marinette go. “I’m sure your line will be a hit.”

She got out of his grip and stood up, offering a hand. “How about some snacks? I think this deserves a celebratory cupcake.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice about sweets, Mari.” Adrien followed Marinette downstairs into the bakery. It seems they had to make their cupcakes before they ate them.

“Have you ever baked before?” Marinette asked as she draped her apron over her head and tied it behind her back.

“I’m going to say it’s been a while,” Adrien admitted as he followed her lead.

Marinette shook her head as she moved around the kitchen gathering ingredients. “Any flavor requests?”

“Chocolate, please.”

She nodded and grabbed the chocolate before heading back to Adrien. She showed him how to mix the dry and wet ingredients and then combine them before pouring them into the cups. To her surprise, he was pretty good in the kitchen. Well, he was good at following instructions. 

“Baking seems to be more of a science than an art,” Adrien commented as they worked on the frosting.

“It is. As long as you follow the recipe, the item will come out right every time.” 

Marinette looked up when she heard giggling and felt something cold on her nose. She lifted her hand to find frosting as Adrien laughed. Glaring, Marinette took the spatula she had been using to move the frosting into piping bags and dragged it across his cheek, covering it in chocolate. Adrien ran his hand through it and attempted to grab Marinette, who dodged out of the way and ran. Soon enough Sabine came in to find the two teens covered in frosting.

Marinette took the cupcakes out of the oven while Adrien went upstairs to shower. Thankfully his clothes had been spared of any frosting, but his hair had not. He quickly washed the frosting off and went back downstairs. Marinette decided to wait on a shower and they decorated and ate their cupcakes.

\---

The next day, Adrien went with Marinette to present her designs. While Marinette spoke with Audrey, Adrien went next door to spend some time with Chloe.

“Adrichou, I should’ve known you’d come with Dupain-Cheng.” She offered tea as he came to sit at her small table. “So, how are things going for you two? Are you actually a couple yet or are you still too scared to make a move?”

“I’m not scared, Chloe.” Adrien scowled down at his drink. “I just want to make sure this is what we both want.”

“Sounds to me like you want to have your cake and eat it too.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “If you keep stringing her along, you are only going to confuse the poor girl more. Man up and ask her to be your girlfriend already.”

“You’re right, Chloe. I guess I was just worried it was sort of a rebound for me, so I left myself a way out. Now, I know I want to be with her. I can see her in my future and that makes me incredibly happy. She makes me happy.”

Chloe groaned. “Enough with your sappy drivel. You’re making me sick.”

Adrien smiled at his first friend as she smiled back at him. She may not be the nicest person in the world, but she had a heart of gold that would shine through if you knew how to look.

Marinette entered a while later, a bit disappointed. Audrey had made some suggestions on her designs, giving her until the end of the week to make changes. Still, she was happy for the opportunity and, with Adrien’s support, she would see this through.

\---

Adrien took Marinette’s hand as they left the hotel and headed to her house to tell her parents about the meeting. “Mari, would you like to have dinner with me next week?”

“At your house or mine?”

“Neither. I wanted to take you out, just the two of us.”

"Oh." Marinette’s cheeks flushed a delightful shade of rose. “I would like that.”

Adrien released the breath he had been holding. “Great. Fantastic. I’ll get everything set up. Friday sound good or would Saturday work better, so it’s after your deadline?”

“Saturday is fine,” Marinette confirmed. “Just, don’t go overboard, okay?”

Adrien gave her his most innocent look. “I would never dream of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!! The dinner date is upon us!
> 
> Side note: My editor and partner in crime, Mireille, will be taking a 2-week hiatus starting next week. I will continue to post during that time, but I will be going dormant for a few days while I am recovering from surgery (nothing major, no worries). I'll make sure to warn you guys again before I make like a tree and leaf! ;-) Until next time!


	19. Representation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner dates are the best!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I hope you enjoy the fluff!

Nathalie worked over the next three days to get everything ready for Adrien’s dinner date with Marinette. She had reserved a table at Restaurant Guy Savoy for Thursday night. The dress Nathalie had picked out had been sent over to the bakery, and the jewelry Adrien ordered would be arriving this afternoon. She smiled as she worked on the details, happy that Adrien finally had someone who could openly show they cared.

Nathalie knew that Gabriel cared deeply for his son, but he had changed since Emilie fell ill. She had been a light, happy presence in the house, as well as Nathalie’s best friend. Adrien reminded her so much of Emilie, which she knew was part of the reason Gabriel avoided Adrien. He wasn’t ready to give up, to let go of his wife. So, Nathalie tried to be there for her ‘nephew’, helping him get into school and telling little white lies to allow him more freedom. It wasn’t much, but she did as much as she could without losing her job.

“Has it arrived, Nathalie?” Adrien’s worried voice broke into her reverie.

“It hasn’t, but I will look into it now,” Nathalie answered in her stoic tone, though her heart melted when Adrien’s worried expression softened around the edges and he gave her a glimmer of a smile before he bounded upstairs to practice his piano. Nathalie noticed he was at his piano every waking moment he could be, learning a song she didn’t recognize. She could only assume it was something special to Marinette. 

Within the hour, she knocked on Adrien’s door, delivering his highly awaited package. He carefully opened the black jewelry case and gasped at the necklace inside. He closed the case and placed it on his desk. “It’s perfect, Nathalie! Thank you!”

“I’m glad it meets your expectations. I’m sure it will be well received.”

“Is everything else ready for tomorrow?”

“Your reservations are for 6 p.m. and her dress was delivered this morning. Your suit was cleaned and pressed today, and the limo will be sparkling tomorrow.”

“Great! Now, if I can calm my nerves enough to get through to the dinner, everything will be perfect.”

Nathalie was about to respond when Gabriel called through her earpiece. She turned on her heel and made her way to the atelier. “You needed something, sir?”

“Was there a package delivered just now?”

“Yes, sir. A present Adrien ordered for his dinner with Marinette tomorrow.”

Gabriel glanced at Nathalie. “What dinner?”

“He asked her to go to dinner with him.”

Gabriel nodded. “Very well. Now, about the Spring line—”

\---

Marinette stood in front of her mirror, unable to believe it was her reflection looking back at her. The dress Adrien had chosen—a baby pink dress, the lace bodice coming to a jeweled neckline and a knee-length skirt with a chiffon overskirt that cascaded down one side—fit her like a dream. Her mother pulled her hair into a bun, decorated with a cherry blossom comb. She put on the black heels Monique had given her and walked downstairs to meet her date.

Adrien arrived at the Dupain-Chengs’ about 30 minutes before their reservation and headed upstairs after saying hello to Tom. Sabine answered the door and welcomed Adrien inside. “You look wonderful, Adrien. Marinette will be down in one minute.” She walked to the living room to retrieve her camera. “I would like to get some pictures of you two before you go.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien answered, trying to keep the nervous wobble out of his voice. He adjusted his navy blue coat, brushed off his matching pants, checked to make sure the buttons on his cream-colored dress shirt were done properly and his tie, silk with a navy and cream diamond pattern, was tucked into his navy vest.

He heard movement above him and stopped his nervous fiddling to look up and see Marinette slowly making her way down the stairs. He stepped forward and offered his hand to help her down the last few stairs. “You look radiant,” he whispered as she took her place beside him so Sabine could take photos.

“You’re looking pretty good yourself,” she retorted as they headed downstairs to tell Tom goodbye before getting into the black limo. “So, where are we going?”

“A place I’m sure you will love,” Adrien began as he tried to relax. “The owner loves fashion and art. Father used to have meetings at his restaurant all the time. I remember him telling Mother he always loved the atmosphere and it helped him get through some of his creative blocks.”

“Wow, that is some high praise. I can’t wait to see it.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing we are here.” Adrien stepped out of the car once the door was opened and turned to help Marinette out. Once inside, they were greeted by the  maître d′, and shown to their table. 

They had a wonderful view of the sunset over the river and Marinette couldn’t take her eyes off it. “I can see why your father found inspiration here. It’s beautiful.” Their server brought water, as well as the first course. Marinette looked at her plate confused, “We didn’t order yet.”

“I had Nathalie order the restaurant's specialty when she made the reservation,” Adrien explained. “It is a multi-course meal called ‘Colors, Textures, and Flavors.’ I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh,” Marinette replied. “No, that’s fine. I was just confused.”

“Good,” Adrien let out a breath he had been holding as the plates were taken and the next course was brought. “So, how are the designs coming along?”

Marinette sighed. “Not as well as I had hoped, but I’ve made progress. Hopefully, they will translate well enough to move forward.”

“You can always practice with me,” Adrien offered. “I do know a few things about fashion.”

Marinette giggled. “I’m sure you do.” She looked over the Seine and watched as people walked along its banks. “As I told you before, I want my designs to be worn by everyday people. The human figure is diverse and every shape should be celebrated. I thought a nice way to illustrate this was with the Parisian heroes. Each one has unique skills and abilities, but they are all superheroes. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,” Adrien affirmed. “I love the idea, actually.”

She turned back to look at him. “Really?”

“Yes. I hate that only certain body types are used for modeling. Your line of thinking is a breath of fresh air into the industry.”

“Thanks, Adrien!” Marinette grinned. “That means a lot coming from you.”

A few more courses transpired as she went into more detail about the designs. Adrien was entranced with the way her eyes sparkled as she spoke of her passion. She was truly meant to be in the world of fashion and he knew he had to help her in any way he could.

“Marinette, I was thinking,” Adrien started as the first of their desserts were presented. “Maybe we could go on a walk before I take you home.”

“I would love that.” Marinette smiled.

\---

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Adrien asked as he walked with Marinette, arm-in-arm, toward a local park.

“I did. That was amazing, though I told you not to go overboard.” She swatted playfully at his shoulder, causing them both to giggle.

Adrien threw his hands up. “I know, but I wanted tonight to be special.”

Marinette glared at him but gave in to his sweet, innocent face. “It was lovely.” She leaned into his shoulder as they walked.

They entered Gabriel-Pierné park and sat on one of the benches. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me since I entered public school. You were willing to give the 'spoiled teen supermodel' another chance. I didn’t know how important that day was going to be until now. You made my world so much brighter, just by being there. Now that we have become so close, my days shine like the sun and no amount of clouds can darken them for long.” He took her hand and lay a gentle kiss on her knuckles before rubbing them with his thumb. “Marinette, you mean the world to me and I never want you to doubt my feelings for you. I want to show you each and every day how much you mean to me. I want you to know you can come to me with anything, as I am able to do with you. I can’t imagine my world without you in it.”

Marinette gasped as she looked at Adrien, tears gathering in her eyes at his words. “Adrien, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I love you, Marinette.” He leaned in his face inches from hers. “I’m asking you to be my girlfriend.”

“I love you too, Adrien.” She closed the distance and their lips met. The kiss was short and sweet, but the butterflies that erupted in her stomach continued to flutter. She smiled shyly as she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

“So, ah,” Adrien stuttered as he tried to get his bearings. “Was that a yes?”

Marinette nodded. “Yes.”

Adrien scooped her up and twirled her around while shouting happily into the night. When he put her back down, he pulled something out of his jacket pocket. “I have something for you.”

Marinette gasped as he opened the velvet case to reveal a cherry blossom charm made from heart-shaped baby pink sapphires for petals and a dark pink sapphire in the center, set in rose gold and hanging from a matching chain. “Adrien, it’s beautiful.”

He took it out of the case and placed it around her neck, admiring how it caught the light. “It looks perfect on you. I remembered how much you loved cherry blossoms, so I thought it would be fitting for tonight.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “How did I get so lucky as to catch your eye?”

“Funny,” he countered as he leaned in again. “I’ve been asking myself the same question for weeks.” He kissed her again, happy to get lost in the moment.

Adrien’s driver came around shortly after and they were driven back to Marinette's house. Adrien escorted her to the door and kissed her cheek before walking back to the car. He sighed as he leaned against the back of the seat. He placed a hand to his lips, where they still tingled from their contact with Marinette’s. This still felt like a dream to him, but if it was, he never wanted to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...that happened?! Who's ready to see what happens with these precious children next?! I know I am!!
> 
> Here are some websites for visual reference:
> 
> The restaurant: http://www.guysavoy.com/  
> Marinette's dress: https://us.shein.com/Lace-Top-Flounce-Flare-Dress-p-537171-cat-1727.html?url_from=adpladress180716385L&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_XpBRCCARIsAItJiuS1Ok4LFxR9BE8hH4NZbiJcggzVsj5PHr_iGD-ay7rnCYE7P1Y8j5IaAi8dEALw_wcB  
> Adrien's tie: https://poshmark.com/listing/BROOKS-BROS-Navy-Cream-100-Silk-Mens-Neck-Tie-5cb69071d1aa25b437a63201  
> The Necklace - I took some liberties with this and changed everything to gemstones...it's more Adrien. ;-) : https://www.amazon.com/YOUMIYA-Blossoms-Graduation-Beautiful-Artificial/dp/B07B1TP125


	20. Vase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is taken on a wild goose chase....but why?

Marinette was happily humming to herself as she finished the final details of Adrien’s suit. It had taken a little longer than she had expected, but she hadn’t foreseen all the meetings she was going to have with Audrey about her designs for  _ Style Queen _ .

She had completed ten designs, a casual and an elegant look based on each of Paris’ heroes. Audrey praised her designs and her concept, saying that Marinette was going to go far in the fashion world and that she couldn’t wait to see it. Well, that wasn’t exactly what she had said, but it’s how Marinette interpreted it.

Unfortunately, her fashion endeavors took time away from her current project, as well as her boyfriend. She sighed as she thought about Adrien. They had only been official for three weeks,  but he had been more than understanding and supportive when she had declined his invitations to hang out earlier that week . But not today! Today, he was coming to try on his suit and spend some time with her.

A knock on her trap door brought her attention back to the present. She let go of the sleeve she had finished. “Come in!” Her face twisted in confusion when a head of brunette hair came up, instead of blonde. “Hey, Alya! Where’s Adrien?”

“He said he was running late, so we have a little change of plans.” Alya grabbed Marinette’s hand and pulled her toward the stairs. “Come on, Marinette. We have a lot to do today.”

Marinette grabbed her purse — Tikki already smuggled inside — as she stumbled after her best friend. “You never told me about plans for today.”

Alya looked over her shoulder and smirked as they made it down to the bakery, where Mylène was waiting with a cherry blossom branch with a note.

_ ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The most beautiful thing I have ever seen is you.’ _

“Alya,” Marinette called as she was dragged out of the bakery and toward their old collège, Mylène in tow. “What is going on? Where are we going?”

“You will see, Marinette. Just trust me.” 

The girls walked up the stairs to see Alix holding another note and a Pear blossom.

_ ‘That first day in the rain, you became the first friend I made by myself. I knew then that you were special.’ _

Alix joined the trio as they made their way to Max at their new lycée, Markov hovering nearby with a sprig of gladiolus flowers.

_ ‘Your strength and conviction for your friends is something I admire. It is an honor to have you in my life.’ _

Next, it was Chloe at the hotel with a red and orange lily.

_ ‘Your passion for art and fashion has sparked a fire of passion in myself, as well as others. You are truly an inspiration to us all.’ _

The group didn’t have to go far to find Sabrina, sitting in the Place des Vosges with bluebells.

_ ‘Shakespeare once said, “The eyes are the window to the soul.” I couldn’t agree more, as I could get lost in yours for hours.’ _

Marinette was still wondering where this was going when they found Rose on the Pont des Arts, hydrangeas clutched tightly in her hands.

_ ‘You understood me when no one else did. I will never be able to express what that means to me.’ _

Rose’s cooing added to the rest of the group as they followed Alya and Marinette to Juleka, waiting by her houseboat and holding a yellow chrysanthemum.

_ ‘You are more precious than money or fame to me, and I vow to show you this every day.’ _

Marinette was feeling tears well up at his loving words as they all found Ivan with a peony.

_ ‘Some people measure prosperity by one’s wealth and status. I measure it by the love in my life.’ _

The Louvre was the next stop for the growing group, where Nathaniel was waiting with a Gardenia.

_ ‘Our love is sweet.’ _

Next was the Grand Palais, where Kim had a daisy in his teeth. Marinette shook her head in fond exasperation as she took the flower and added it to her collection.

_ ‘Our love is loyal.’ _

Nino was waving from under the Eiffel Tower, a red tulip held gingerly in his other hand.

_ ‘Our love is perfect.’ _

Finally, Marinette saw Adrien standing at the Trocadéro Gardens. The class stopped a few meters while Marinette continued forward after handing her bouquet to Alya. Tears began to fall as Marinette took in the sight of Adrien holding a note and a beautiful bunch of forget-me-nots. She gently took the note and flower from his outstretched hand.

_ ‘I will never forget the memories we have made and I cannot wait to make many more.’ _

“You—How—What?” Marinette whispered, stunned by the torrent of emotions running through her. “Did I miss something? What’s the occasion?”

Adrien hugged Marinette. “No. I just wanted to show you how much I love you.” He waved his hand toward the group behind her. “I asked Alya for some help, and before I knew it, the whole class wanted in on the surprise.” He pulled back and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “There aren’t enough hours in the day to show you how much you mean to me, but I hope these flowers and notes will remind you whenever you look at them.”

Marinette stood on her toes and kissed her boyfriend, barely registering the cheers and coming from the people behind them.

\---

When the couple returned to the bakery, there was a beautiful blue and pink vase with a silk version of each flower waiting in Marinette’s room —a version that wouldn't perish, one that she could cherish . She worked on getting her real bouquet into a vase of water while Adrien tried on his suit.

“All done, Mari,” he called from her room.

She came back upstairs, vase in hand. She almost dropped it at the sight in front of her. Adrien looked stunning. “How does it fit?”

“I think it’s perfect, but I’m not a designer.”

Marinette walked around him, tugging at the fabric here and there. She couldn’t find any alterations she wanted to make, so she let him change behind her dressing screen.

“Marinette. I do need to talk to you about something.” Adrien’s voice floated over the screen, heavy with melancholy.

“What is it?” she asked, concern laced in her own voice. What could he possibly need to talk to her about that had him so upset?

“Father is sending me to St. Lucia tomorrow to do some photoshoots for the spring and summer lines. I’ll be gone for two weeks.” He walked from behind the screen and sat down next to Marinette on the chaise, taking her hands in his. “I was going to tell you sooner, but you were so excited about your spread in  _ Style Queen _ , I didn’t want to ruin your mood.”

“Adrien, you should’ve told me,” Marinette quietly scolded. “Is that why you’ve been asking to spend so much time together the past week?” She watched as he nodded. “Oh, Adrien, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Adrien interrupted. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. I’m sure you will be able to have your pick of internships after Audrey’s magazine features you.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’m used to it by now.”

“You stop right there!” Marinette’s angry voice caused Adrien’s eyes to jerk to hers. The fire that burned in them made him want to back up. “There is no excuse for me ignoring you. Just because your father thinks it’s okay to put his empire before his family doesn’t mean that everyone is like that. I promise you, when you get back, things will be different.” She cupped his cheek as her eyes softened. “I never want you to feel ignored or forgotten again.”

Tears ran down Adrien’s cheeks as his heart swelled at her words. He tried to speak, but words failed him. He tried again to convey how much her words meant to him, only this time he pulled her close and kissed her. When they parted, he hugged her tightly and buried his face in her vanilla-scented hair.

Marinette wrapped her arms around her love, rubbing his back soothingly. She felt him pull away and she ran her thumbs along his cheekbone to wipe away the stray tears.

“Thank you, Marinette,” Adrien whispered, finding his voice once again.

“You’re welcome, Adrien,” she whispered back. “I am here for you always, no matter what else is going on in my life. You can call me, day or night, if you need me. Okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed, knowing it was easier said than done. He wasn’t used to being the priority in someone’s life. He would make the effort though, for himself, Marinette, and their relationship. “Movie before I have to go?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me FOREVER to go through and pick each of these flowers. I could have done all of the meanings with roses, but after the LB/Chat interactions, I could see Marinette having a negative association with roses. Besides, our girl isn't one for normality! For those who want the actual meaning of each flower:
> 
> Cherry Blossom - beauty (and it's kinda become their flower)  
> Pear Blossom - lasting friendship  
> Gladiolus - strength of character, honor, conviction  
> Red and Orange Lily - passion and aspiration (I cheated and found one lily that had both colors)  
> Bluebells - I never found any concrete symbolism, but I chose them bc of her eye color  
> Hydrangea - being understood  
> Yellow Chrysanthemum - precious  
> peony - prosperity  
> Gardenia - sweet love  
> Daisy - loyal love  
> Red Tulip - perfect love  
> Forget-Me-Nots - faithful love and memories (He chose this one to be last because he wants her to remember him and his love for her while he is away.)
> 
> Let me know what you think! Was it too cheesy? Too perfectly Adrien? Horrible?
> 
> Also: As if I'm not crazy enough doing this RWG fic with Mireille...I've decided to try my hand at drabbles for Adrien Aug-reste. This story will still be updated to the best of my ability on time, surgery notwithstanding. If you wish to delve into the innermost thoughts of our beautiful Cat-son, join me in my other fic: The World Revolves Around the Sun. https://archiveofourown.org/works/20062723/chapters/47514649


	21. Airplane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien comes home from his trip and everyone finally heads to the dance!

Adrien sat back and watched the sky pass by, unable to sleep. He was eight hours into the eleven hour flight back from St. Lucia and the sky was dark as night had fallen around them. He sighed and took out his tablet, thankful he had downloaded the required reading material for his literature class before taking off. Snuggling deeper into the seat, he tapped on the screen to begin reading.

His mind, however, did not want to concentrate on schoolwork. It wandered away whenever it could, revisiting the past two weeks. He had been lonely, with only Vikor and Ethan, Adrien’s assistant, to keep him company. Thankfully, he was able to carve out at least a few minutes every day to facetime Marinette. Their brief talks, hundreds of texts, and her daily emails with their assigned work were always the highlights of his day. He couldn’t wait to be able to get back to her, to hold her, and bask in her warm and comforting presence.

\---

Marinette wrapped her comforter tighter around herself as she curled up on her terrace lawn chair. She watched the early morning sky, hoping to see any planes fly overhead. Today, Adrien was returning and she was almost too excited to sleep last night. His trip had been taxing on both of them, but they seemed to have made it through unscathed.

It hadn’t helped that there hadn’t been an akuma the whole time Adrien was gone. So, she turned her attention to the calendar she kept with her diary where she recorded akuma battles. It appeared that there were no akumas when Gabriel was supposed to be out of town, which she found rather suspicious.

She sighed, and pushed that line of thought to the back of her mind. She would go over that with Chat and Master Fu when she was able to. For now, she needed to concentrate on welcoming her boyfriend back home.

\---

Marinette had just sat down to a late Sunday brunch with her parents when their doorbell rang. She jumped up from her stool, stumbling over the legs as it fell over and she tried to run at the same time. Making it safely through the house and down the stairs, she opened their side door to the most wonderful site in the world —Adrien. He was holding a bouquet of stargazer lilies, but Marinette only registered them when they bumped up against her as she tried to crush him in a hug. Smiling sheepishly when he giggled, she took the offered flower s and  _ then _ squeezed him tightly.

“Welcome home!” She greeted, letting him go when she felt him tap her back. “Sorry.”

“No problem. I just wanted to continue breathing. I kinda like it here.” Adrien replied with a wink, earning an eye roll.

“Dork.” Marinette waved to the upstairs. “We were just sitting down to brunch. Would you like to join?”

“Sure.” Adrien said, taking her free hand in his as they made their way upstairs. He was greeted with welcoming hugs from her parents, while Marinette placed her flowers in a vase.

The meal was spent in lively conversation of Adrien’s trip, as well as some stories from school and the bakery. Adrien’s cheeks hurt by the time the meal ended with how much he had laughed and smiled. He loved Marinette’s parents and could see where Marinette got her spunk and humor from, not to mention everything else that made Marinette wonderful.

“Do you have any plans for Saturday before the formal?” Adrien asked when they entered her room after cleaning up brunch.

“Alya is coming over here so we can do our hair and makeup together. Why?”

“I thought the four of us could go to dinner beforehand.” He held up his hands as he saw her level a glare at him. “Nowhere too fancy, I promise!”

“Adrien, you do realize that your interpretation of ‘fancy’ and ours vary greatly, right?” She quipped as she set up a video game on her computer.

“I have Nino helping me,” he stated, hoping that would take the edge off.

She sighed in defeat. “Fine. Just let us know when we will be picked up so we know how long we have to get ready.”

Adrien leaned over to peck her cheek. “As you wish.”

\---

“Girl, what are you doing?” Alya inquired as she watched her best friend attempt to style her hair.

“I don’t know,” Marinette whined, gripping her hair in frustration. She still hadn’t figured out what she wanted to do with her hair. Should she wear it up, down, half and half? 

Alya swatted Marinette’s hands away. “I know just the look!” After about 20 minutes, Alya stepped back and turned Marinette toward the mirror. “Voilà!”

Marinette gasped, her eyes growing wide as she moved her head from side to side. Half her hair was done in a crown braid, with the rest slightly curled and loose around her shoulders. Alya added white and silver snowflake pins strategically throughout her braid, which popped against her raven hair. “Alya,” Marinette whispered reverently. “It’s beautiful!”

Alya hugged her best friend from behind, looking at her in the mirror. “You’re beautiful. I just helped crown the beauty.” She stood back up and spun Marinette back towards her. “Now, to make you drop-dead gorgeous! Adrien won’t be able to take his eyes off you once I’m done!”

“I don’t think he will be able to anyway.”

The girls giggled and continued their banter as they finished getting ready for the best night of their freshman year.

\---

Adrien and Nino arrived at 5:30 in the limo and were waiting in the living room for the girls to come down from Marinette’s room.

Alya appeared first, jade skirt flowing around her. She smirked at the stunned look on Nino’s face, tapping his chin when she stepped up beside him. “Like what you see?”

Nino could only nod while his brain tried to restart itself. He and Alya stood to the side so Sabine could take pictures to send over to their parents.

Adrien giggled at his friends as they posed for their pictures. His eyes shot up, however, when he heard a heel click against the wooden stairs. The world around him disappeared as he watched his girlfriend slowly appear from above. Her white shoes and dress hem were the first things he saw before the dress slowly came into view. The bodice hugged her like a second skin, the skirt flowing like snowflakes on a gentle wind. When her eyes met his, his heart skipped about five beats. She was the very definition of breath-taking.

Marinette walked over, held out her arms, and did a little spin in front of Adrien. “Well, how do I look?” she asked nervously, teeth nibbling on her lower lip a bit.

Adrien reached out, took her hand, and leaned over to give it a gentle kiss. He stood back up, locking eyes with her. “They haven’t invented a word that could adequately describe how beautiful you are.”

Marinette smiled, a look of relief coming over her as she heard Nino groan in the background.

“Dude! How are the rest of us supposed to compete when you say something like that?” Nino jested light-heartedly.

“I guess it’s a good thing for you, not every woman is wooed by pretty words.” Alya quipped as she snuck a kiss from Nino.

“You know you’re jealous.” Marinette stuck her tongue out childishly, hands on hips, when Alya did the same at her. 

Everyone laughed at their antics and soon, the quartet were in the limo, headed for a night of fun and memories.

\---

After a wonderful—not too fancy—dinner, everyone arrived at the Grand Palais, eager to dance and socialize. Normally, the dance would be held in a smaller venue, but Mayor Bourgeois had opened the Grand Palais for his daughter’s first lycée dance.

Alya and Nino entered with Marinette and Adrien following closely behind. The room had been decorated with stars and balloons, there was a photo area off to the right for couples to have a professional picture taken, and refreshments were on a table near the back, next to the DJ booth.

The group made their way over to the rest of their friends, who were all crowded near the far corner of the dance floor. They spent a while talking to their friends before Alya insisted the girls go get pictures done together. The six friends rushed off toward the photo area, leaving a group of chuckling boys in their wake.

“So, you enjoying yourself?” Alya asked as she and Marinette broke away from the rest of the girls to get something to drink.

“I am!” Marinette replied excitedly. “Adrien has been fantastic. I still can’t believe that we are here, together. Like,  _ together _ together!”

Alya laughed. “I hear ya, girl. I’m so happy for you.” Something caught her eye. “I’ll be right back. Nino is waving me over.”

Marinette nodded as her friend dashed over to the DJ booth, where Nino was waiting. Looking around the room, she searched for Adrien. A voice from behind her caused her blood to run cold.

“M-M-Marinette. Nice to see you,” Luka jested as he walked up.

Marinette slowly turned around. She hadn’t expected to see Luka here, since he attended a private lycee on a music scholarship. She was going to tell him at the next jam session that she and Adrien were officially a couple. She wasn’t ready to talk to him now.

“H-hey! Luka! What you are here? I mean, what are you doing here?” Marinette stumbled out, cursing her nervousness.

“Jules invited me. I was hoping to run into you.” He placed his arm against the wall behind Marinette, and leaned toward her.

“Oh, really?” She squeaked, her voice an octave or two higher than normal. “W-why is that?” She tried to back away, but ran into the wall.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You still seemed upset after the last jam session.”

“I’m great. Adrien and I are officially together now,” Marinette rambled out before her brain could stop her mouth. So much for telling him later. “I’m really happy.”

Before he could reply, an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close.

“Hey, Luka,” Adrien called out as he slid next to Marinette. He felt her relax a little at his touch. “What brings you here?”

“Adrien,” Luka replied, glancing at him before returning his eyes to Marinette. “Juleka invited me to hang with the ‘groove’.’” He chuckled behind his hand as Marinette’s cheeks flamed from embarrassment. “I saw Marinette getting a drink and thought I would say hello.”

“That’s wonderful.” Adrien gave Luka his best model smile as he feigned interest. “Marinette, would you like to dance?”

“I would.” She smiled up at Adrien before turning to Luka. “Have a good evening!”

Adrien walked Marinette out to the dance floor and pulled her close. “Are you okay? You seemed upset back there.”

Marinette shook her head. “It’s fine, Adrien. Don’t worry about it.” She placed her hand over his mouth when he opened it to protest. “I don’t want to ruin tonight, okay? I’ll explain later.”

“Okay,” Adrien grumbled, though he was rewarded for his agreement with a kiss. He knew she would talk to him, but it still bothered him that she was keeping something from him. If it was one thing Adrien hated, it was secrets.

Adrien pushed all of that to the back of his mind. His girlfriend was fine and in his arms, that's all that should matter. He felt her head rest on his chest and sighed, wrapping his arms tighter around her. They quietly danced to the soothing music, lost in their own bubble of happiness. Once the faster music came back on, they left the dance floor in search of their friends.

\---

“Hey, Marinette,” Kim called. “You wanna dance with a real man?”

Marinette rolled her eyes as the rest of her friends giggled at Kim. “If Adrien was here, I would.”

Kim deflated as Marinette chuckled. “Why you gotta be like that?”

“You know I’m joking.” Marinette walked up and took his arm, glancing over to where Adrien was dancing with Chloe. “Lead the way.”

Kim and Marinette walked onto the dance floor just as the current song was ending, passing Adrien and Chloe on the way as they exited the dance floor. The next song started as Kim placed his hands on her waist and she placed her hands on his shoulders. They got lost in conversation as they slowly moved in a circle in time with the beat.

As the last notes were played, a tap came on Kim’s shoulder. “Mind if I have a dance with the lovely lady?”

Kim looked to see Luka standing next to him. “Not at all.” He stepped away after giving Marinette a hug and a ‘thank you’ before heading back over toward Max and Alix.

Marinette wasn’t sure this was the best idea, but she didn’t want to be rude, so she moved her hands to his shoulders as he placed his hands on her waist.

“So, you and Adrien?” Luka asked, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.

“He asked me to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago, so it’s still kinda new. I’m really happy though, like I said.”

“Are you sure?” Luka’s teal eyes searched hers. “Your song is still sad, and his doesn’t harmonize with yours the way mine does.”

Marinette’s brow furrowed as he spoke. What did he mean by that? Why can’t he see that she and Adrien are happy together. Her train of thought came to a halt when she felt Luka’s hands slide to her hips. She was about to ask him to move them when Adrien once again appeared.

\---

Nino and Adrien were looking for Marinette and Alya again so they could head out. Before Adrien got a clear view of the dance floor, Nino pulled him over to the side. “Dude, how about you go make sure the limo is here and I’ll go get the girls?”

Adrien raised an eyebrow at his friend. “I already called for the car, Nino. I don’t need to check to see if it’s—” His words died down at the site in front of him.

Marinette was on the dance floor, but she wasn’t with Kim, like Adrien had assumed. Instead, she had her hands on Luka’s shoulders while his hands were on her hips, and she looked extremely uncomfortable at the arrangement.

Adrien felt something well up inside him. That was  _ his _ girlfriend! Before he knew it, he had made his way over to them. “Mind if I cut in?”

“Only if the lady wishes,” Luka answered, not taking his eyes off Marinette.

Marinette looked over at Adrien, noticing that his hands were balled into fists and he had a more offensive posture than normal. “I think it’s time I go,” Marinette replied, the discomfort clear in her voice. “It’s getting close to curfew anyways.”

Luka nodded. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear before he turned her to Adrien and walked away.

Marinette placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder when he took a step forward. “Adrien, can we just go?” 

Adrien turned his attention away from Luka’s retreating back and looked down at Marinette. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close. “Of course, the car is waiting.” He pulled away but kept his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to Nino and Alya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry I didn't post on Friday, but I wasn't ready to put this chapter out. I felt it wasn't quite what I wanted, but my weekend got away from me. Hopefully it was worth the wait! 
> 
> Please remember that this story will probably go on hiatus this upcoming weekend as well as I recover from minor surgery. I will update when I can focus on the story again! 
> 
> I am also participating in Adrien AUGreste...so those drabbles will continue to get posted through my husband...possibly, maybe.


	22. endure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heart-to-heart talks all around!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry about any errors. This wasn't betaed, but I wanted to get it in before tomorrow. I hope you enjoy anyway!   
> Corrections will probably be made after my beta reader and I get back on track.

Adrien was surprised to hear a knock on his door the next morning. He was in the middle of his piano practice, which was normally the one time he wasn’t disturbed. Before he could answer, the door opened and Nathalie stepped inside.

“You have a visitor,” she stated coldly as she stepped out of the way.

Marinette timidly walked into the room, the door closing behind her as Nathalie exited. Marinette kept her eyes focused on the floor. “I’m sorry about last night.”

Adrien’s eyes shot wide in surprise. “Sorry? For what?”

“Last night was supposed to be  _ our night _ , but I spent more time with Luka than with you. Not that I wanted to. He cornered me when Alya left and I didn’t say anything when Kim let him cut in.” Marinette felt the tears welling up in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have done either, but I needed to talk to him, to explain that you and I are officially together.” She walked over and collapsed onto the couch.

Adrien walked over and sat beside her. He could see the dark circles and puffiness in her eyes, like she had been crying all night. When he had left her the night before, he had asked if she wanted him to stay longer, but she declined. Now, he wished he had insisted. Adrien knew something was bothering her, but he also knew she needed time to process things. He tentatively placed a hand on her knee, giving her comfort if she needed, but the option to push him away if uncomfortable.

“I don’t understand. I told him, but it’s like... he didn’t listen. He just said he would be waiting, that it wasn’t right.” She looked at Adrien, tears beginning to fall. “Why would he say that? What does he mean, Adrien?” 

Adrien pulled her to his chest and ran his hand through her hair, pulling out her signature pigtails as he did. “I don’t know, Marinette. Do you feel that this is right for you?” He felt her nod vigorously against his chest. “So do I, and I think that’s all that really matters.” He laid a soft kiss on the top of her head. “Maybe it would be best if we stayed away from him for a bit.”

She shook her head. “Kitty Section has another jam session during the holiday. I would hate for you to miss playing with them. It will be fine. Maybe if he sees us together, it will be better.”

“My schedule is pretty full over the break, but if I do get the chance to go, we will discuss it then. Okay?” He felt her nod again. “And don’t think you have to do this to prove anything. If you don’t want to go, we won’t. If we do go and you feel you need to leave, we’ll leave. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“Thank you for being so understanding.” She sat up and kissed him. “Nathalie said you were practicing your piano. Do you mind continuing?”

“Anything for you, Mari.” He kissed the top of her head again and made sure she was comfortable before going back over to the piano. “Do you have any requests today?”

“Something relaxing, but not depressing.”

“I know just the thing.” He winked before he placed his hands on the keys. After taking a moment to compose himself, he started into a jazz arrangement of various Disney songs.

“Is that  _ Tangled _ ?”

“It is. I found a whole site dedicated to jazz versions of Disney songs. I know jazz relaxes me better than classical any day of the week.”

“It sounds fantastic.” Marinette acknowledged as she made herself more comfortable on the couch.

Adrien played for about 10 minutes, lost in music from  _ Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid _ . When he looked over again, he saw Marinette had fallen asleep. Chuckling to himself, he stood back up, and retrieved a blanket to cover her with. He laid a chaste kiss on her forehead before turning off his lights, allowing her to rest peacefully as he read on the other end of the couch. He glanced back over at her sleeping form, and decided he would make sure he could go to the jam session. Luka was going to learn not to mess with Adrien’s princess.

\---

“Hey, Nathalie. I need to ask a favor.” Adrien turned toward her after they dropped Marinette off at her house. “I know it’s a long shot, but can you make sure my schedule is clear next Saturday afternoon?”

“What is the occasion?”

“There is another jam session, but more importantly I need to talk to someone who will be there before everyone else gets there.”

“Let me look into it. With everything else added, I’m not sure I can grant your request.”

“Thanks, Nathalie. It would mean a lot to both Marinette and I.”

Nathalie pulled every string she had to move all of his appointments from Saturday to Sunday. The only thing she hadn’t been able to move was a charity event the company way hosting. 

Adrien thanked Nathalie for her support and called Alya to see if she could make sure Marinette arrived late to the jam session. He didn’t want to upset her anymore with this whole situation than she already was. Saturday, this whole thing with Luka was going to end.

\---

Saturday arrived with a light snow storm, so Adrien wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see anyone on the deck of the houseboat. Not sure what to do, he announced himself as he had the last time he came and was rewarded with Anarka Couffaine’s permission to board.

“Excuse me, but is Luka downstairs?” Adrien asked as he snaked his way through the debris toward the stairs that lead below deck.

“Aye. In his cabin, last I saw,” Anarka answered. “Ye know where it be?”

“I do. Thank you.” Adrien gave her his best model smile and headed down. He found Luka sitting on his bed, tuning his guitar. “Hey Luka. We need to talk.”

“Adrien. I didn’t know you were coming.” Luka set his guitar down. “What’s on your mind?”

“You need to stop toying with Marinette.” Adrien looked Luka in the eye as he spoke. “You are hurting her with all your talk about things not being right between her and I. Who are you to decide what is best for her anyway?”

“I just want her to be happy.” Luka shrugged as he picked his guitar back up and began to play. The song was almost in tune, but a note here or there threw it out of sync. “There is something that is holding you back from being completely happy.”

“That is for us to figure out.” Adrien ran a hand through his hair and slid to the floor, his back against the wall next to the door. “Look, you are a great person to talk to, and I know we both see you as a friend. However, you really confused and hurt Marinette last week. You know she overreacts easily.”

“I do, and I’m sorry.” Luka stopped playing and sighed. “I just don’t know how to talk to people sometimes.”

Adrien nodded. “I’m just glad this was all a big misunderstanding.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone thought you were hitting on Mari.” Adrien tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Myself included. It didn’t help my perception when she told me what you said.”

“I can’t deny that I have feelings for her, but that wasn’t my intent.” It was Luka’s turn to sigh and run his hands through his hair. “As I said, I just want her to be truly happy.”

Adrien nodded, his eyes still closed. “I want the same thing, Luka.” He opened his eyes and fixed Luka with a serious expression. “So let me be perfectly clear. Marinette is my girlfriend and I love her dearly. I will not allow you, or anyone else, to hurt her.”

“Understood.” Luka stood, but turned back to Adrien. “However, if you truly loved her, you wouldn’t lie to her.” 

Adrien watched Luka walk out of a different door toward the interior stage. Luka was right, Adrien was harboring a huge secret, which caused him to lie to Marinette quite a bit. What was he supposed to do, though? He couldn’t tell Marinette that he was Chat Noir. Ladybug was adamant  _ no one _ could know their identities. He would be putting her and her family in danger from Hawkmoth. It was one of the main reasons he never visited her as Chat after the Glaciator incident.

It would be easier if she knew. She would understand why he had to run toward the danger. Plagg wouldn’t have to hide all the time, only having Adrien’s room to roam free in. He would finally have someone in his life he didn’t have to wear a mask around.

Adrien shook his head. This wasn’t the time to dwell on this. He would talk to Plagg later. Right now, he needed to get to Mari and the rest of his friends. He had a keyboard to play.

\---

“Hey, Marinette,” Luka called as he walked toward her and Alya. “Can we talk?”

Alya took a step in front of Marinette, partially blocking the shorter girl from view. Her stance told Luka everything he needed to know about how she felt about him at that moment. Alya tilted her head slightly to hear what Marinette was whispering, before glaring at Luka and moving aside.

“Lead the way.” Marinette spoke quietly, not looking at the teen in front of her. She followed Luka back to the main deck and into the bridge, where it was slightly warmer. “What did you need to talk about?”

“I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt you at the dance.” Luka watched as Marinette curled up on herself a bit. “I just want you to be happy and I thought maybe, you might want to try us--”

You can stop right there.” Marinette’s postured stiffened and she glared at Luka. “Adrien and I are together Luka. We have been dating for almost six months now. I’m not going to leave him for you.” She sighed. “You are a great friend, and I thought I liked you as more, but I don’t. I have only ever loved Adrien. Please respect that.”

Luka heart cracked at her words, but part of him knew it was coming. He saw the way those two looked at each other, the way their songs were almost a perfect harmony. He was tempted to tell her about Adrien keeping things from her. That it wasn’t as clear and beautiful as it appeared to be. He didn’t, though. He had told Adrien and now that was Adrien’s problem.

“I understand. I hope he continues to make you happy, Marinette.” Luka turned and walked back downstairs to the stage to warm up.

Marinette leaned on the windowsill and stared out over Paris. She heard the door open again and turned to see Adrien standing in the doorway.

“Here you are. Alya said Luka wanted to talk to you, but he came back and you didn’t.” He walked over and wrapped himself around her from behind, knowing how much she hated the cold. “What do you need? You want to go or stay?”

Marinette wasn’t sure which option was the better one. “Let’s stay, at least for a little while.” She turned in his arms and hugged him back. “I told you I love to hear you play.”

“Okay.” Adrien leaned down and kissed her. “But promise me you will let me know if you want to leave.”

“Promise.” She gave him a peck and pulled out of his embrace. She took his hand and they went back downstairs. She happily sat next to Alya and watched as the band worked on a few new numbers, as well as some of their favorites.

Adrien and Marinette were whisked away in Adrien’s car a few hours later. Marinette curled against Adrien’s side as he hugged her to him. He laid his head on top of hers and enjoyed the quiet drive to the bakery, happy that the situation with Luka had been resolved. He pulled her a bit closer and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head, smiling into her hair when he heard her sigh contentedly. He was still a little surprised this was his reality now, but he wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. She was everything he needed, everything he wanted, and he was determined to never let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then. Now that we have that settled, let's get back into the fluff. Next chapter will have lots of holiday fluff! Hopefully that will be up Monday!


	23. Stray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien contemplates Luka's words and talks to the only two people he can

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I wrote it while still on some heavy pain meds and am just now clear-minded enough to make sure it made sense both on its own and in the storyline. Thank you for hanging in there with me. The next few chapters will come rapid-fire next week while I still have the time to focus on them.

****

Adrien sat at his desk later that evening, trying to work on his homework. Normally, he would fly through it, but today he just couldn’t concentrate. Luka’s words wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Hey Plagg, do you think I should tell Marinette about you?”

“Why would you do that?” The kwami asked from his resting place in Adrien hamper.

“I know how much she hates lies and I hate keeping this secret from her.” Adrien sighed and leaned his head against the back of his chair. “Besides, she always gives me an ear full when I find her again after the attack, which only makes me feel worse. If she knew who I was, maybe she would understand.”

_ She understands more than she lets on, Kit. _ Plagg thought as he listened to Adrien. “But wouldn’t that upset Ladybug?”

Adrien sighed again. “I know. I don’t want to betray her trust either. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place.”

“Welcome to the life of a superhero, Kit.” Plagg rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you going to be late?”

Adrien sat up and looked at his phone. He had patrol in ten minutes. “I guess this will have to wait. Plagg, Claws Out!”

\---

Ladybug was already at their meeting spot when Chat landed. “Good evening, Ladybug. How are you?”

“I’m well, Chat. You?”

“Purrfect, as always.” He gave her hand a gentle kiss, causing her to boop him in the nose.

“Alright, kitty, enough,” she said through some giggles. “You want north or south today?”

“I’ll take south. Meet at the tower?”

“Sure. Be safe!”

\---

Chat finished quickly and made his way to the Eiffel Tower. He found their usual beam, hidden from the lights and everyone below, and sat down to wait for Ladybug. He didn’t have to wait long, as she slid next to him.

“Everything alright on your end?” She asked.

“Not a hint of danger. You?”

“Robbery. I caught the thieves and had to wait for the police to arrive.”

Chat made a non-committal humming sound while staring off into the distance.

Ladybug turned and studied Chat’s profile. “You okay?”

“Just thinking. Someone brought something to my attention and I’m not sure what to do with the information.”

“You want to talk about it?”

Chat sighed. “I have this beautiful, wonderful, amazing girlfriend who I have to keep lying to because of this.” He gestured between the two of them. “I’m tired of having to lie to her all the time, of scaring her every time I have to disappear during an attack, and of worrying that this will destroy our relationship. I can’t lose her LB. She’s the best thing that has happened in my civilian life in years. She makes my world brighter just by being in it and I don’t know if I could survive going back to the darkness alone.”

Chat looked over at Ladybug with such anguish, it hurt something inside her. He really did care for this girl as much if not more than she cared for Adrien.

“I’ve been struggling with this as well,” Ladybug replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. “But you know it’s too dangerous to tell anyone. Hawkmoth could use our family and friends against us if anyone were to find out. It makes me ill thinking about my boyfriend being captured by that lunatic. We have to lie to them, for now. I know it’s not right, I know it isn’t fair...but we have no choice.”

“How would he know though?” Chat countered. “She would never tell anyone, so it would never get back to Hawkmoth.”

“What if she were akumatized? No one remembers what happens during the time they are under his influence. What if he can access their thoughts? She would unknowingly give him your identity. How do you think that would make her feel?”

“You have a point LB,” Chat acquiesced, tired of the circular nature of this conversation. He stood up and unhooked his baton. “I guess we should get going. I’ll see you after the holidays.”

Ladybug watched as Chat disappeared against the night sky. She hated having to be the bad guy in this conversation all the time, but she knew she was right. Her family and friends were more important than the lies she had to tell in order to keep up this double life. Did she like having to tell them? Of course not. She hated liars and always felt like a hypocrite, but it was for the greater good of all of Paris. If everyone knew who she was, then her parents, friends, and Adrien could be used to attempt a grab at her earrings. She would never let them fall into Hawkmoth’s possession, however, so she would lose whoever he was using as bait. That was worse than the lies would ever be. Sighing, she made her way back to her house.

\---

Chat made his way back to his room and released his transformation. Adrien climbed into bed, still thinking about Ladybug’s final words. “Plagg?”

“What?” The kwami grumbled from his place on Adrien’s desk.

“I still don’t know what to do. Talking to Ladybug didn’t help at all.”

“Kit, let it go and get some sleep. Worry about this later.”

“Fine. Night, Plagg.” Adrien rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling as his mind continued to race. He knew Marinette had almost been akumatized twice because of Lila, but Marinette had been able to avoid it both times. That told him that she was stronger than Hawkmoth could ever be. He was pretty confident he wouldn’t have to worry about her getting akumatized. However, he also knew that Ladybug was right, telling Marinette would put her in more danger if Hawkmoth ever found out she knew his identity. Was he willing to risk Marinette’s safety in order to quell his fear of abandonment? Was he willing to risk his relationship with Ladybug because of it? Those were the questions that would lead him to the answer he was so desperate for.

****  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next is holiday fluff...probably over 2 chapters, but I haven't worked it out yet! It will be lots of fluff, I purromise!


	24. outrageous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette seeks advice from Master Fu, and Adrien is left home alone for the holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter will clear a few things up from the last chapter. Enjoy!

**** Marinette groaned as the sunlight poured in through her skylight. She had been up for half the night replaying the conversation with Chat in her head, wondering if she was right. She could understand why telling everyone wasn’t safe, because then word would get back to Hawkmoth, but telling Chat and Adrien? What harm could that honestly do?

When asked, Tikki kept to her usual ‘your identities must stay secret’ answer, but wouldn’t elaborate. This only frustrated Marinette further. Was there a reason that they couldn’t tell? And if there was, why wouldn’t Tikki just come out and say it? She usually wasn’t this evasive.

Marinette decided to take the matter to Fu. If anyone could answer her questions, it was the Guardian. She grumbled as she left the warm cocoon of her blankets and padded downstairs to get ready for her outing. Dressed in a black and white sweater dress with a thin red belt, red thermal leggings, and her hair pulled up into a French braid, she ventured downstairs.

“Maman, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back in time for my shift,” Marinette called from the front door as she slid on her black winter boots and white winter coat.

“Alright. Just be careful,” Sabine answered back as she moved around the kitchen and toward the store.

Marinette quickly peeked in the bakery to see it full of customers and almost stayed, but the sight of their two new hires, Jonas and Elizabeth, stopped her. With all of Marinette’s duties, and the fact that she would be leaving in a few years to pursue her dreams of fashion design, had led her parents to find helping hands for the bakery. Thankfully, they found Jonas and Elizabeth, a sweet couple who are going to a local culinary college for pastries and desserts. They have been working at the bakery for about a month and the Dupains were in love already. Smiling at the two couples as they worked side-by-side to help the throng of customers, Marinette headed out the door toward her destination and hopefully some answers.

\---

Marinette had almost made it to her destination when her phone rang. A quizzical look came over her face when she saw it was Adrien calling. He was supposed to be at another photoshoot right now. “Hello?”

“Hey, Mari. What are you doing today?” 

Adrien’s voice sounded a little more melancholy than usual, which set Marinette on edge more than she already was.

“Well, I’m actually going to see someone than I have to work my shift at the bakery. Why? Are you on a break? How’s your photoshoot going?”

“The shoot was canceled, as were all my other obligations for the next few days,” Adrien reported in the same tone.

“Why? What’s going on, Adrien?” Marinette had stopped walking and sat on a bench by the Seine. She had almost run into one light post already, so she thought it safer to stop moving until this conversation ended.

“Nothing. Father is headed out of town and he decided to be generous and give me the holidays off.”

“So, you are going to be alone over the holidays?” Marinette wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream. Gabriel really was a jerk of a father and his fashions had been lackluster these past few years. She was really trying to see what she ever saw in him.

“Yep.”

Marinette’s heart shriveled at the defeat in that one word. No one should be alone during the holidays. It was a time for family and friends. There was no way she was going to let Adrien spend this time alone. “Adrien, can I call you right back? My mom is buzzing in. Love you.”

“Sure. I’ll talk to you later. Love you too.”

As soon as the phone disconnected, she was on the phone to her parents. Once she explained the situation, they jumped at the chance to cheer up their future son-in-law, and gave permission for Adrien to stay at their home for as long as he wanted, or was allowed anyway.

Once that was worked out, she got on the phone with Nino. “Nino, it’s Marinette. I need your help.”

“I would dudette, but today’s the only day I have to spend with Alya until after the holidays.”

“This is a Code Sunshine, Nino. I wouldn’t bother you otherwise.”

“What’s going on? Where do I need to meet him?”

“I think he’s at his house, but I’ll find out. Gabriel is leaving him alone over the holidays. My parents have agreed to allow him to stay at the house, but I have to go see someone, so I need you to keep him company until I’m done.”

“No problem, dudette. Alya and I were going to go to a movie anyway, so he can tag along and we will meet you after.”

“Sounds good. I’ll text you in a minute.”

“We are already headed out the door.”

Marinette shook her head as she stood and started walking again. Now she was on a time crunch in order to talk to Fu and get to the meeting point. She dialed Adrien’s number and he picked up on the second ring.

  
“Hey again, Mari.”

“Hey yourself. When is your father leaving?”

“He’s already gone. He left early this morning. Why?”

“Then, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.” Adrien’s voice had a confused lilt to it that always made Marinette giggle.

“I need you to pack a bag for the time you are free and meet Nino and Alya at the gate. You are staying at my house over the holiday.”

“Mari, that’s sweet but--”

“No buts. Your father isn’t here and I’m sure Viktor wouldn’t mind the holiday off. I will not stand by and allow you to have another lonely holiday. My parents feel the same way and want you to join us.”

“I’ll talk to Viktor and let you know.”

“Well, either way, you better get out to the gate. Nino and Alya are headed over to take you to the movies and I’ll meet you for lunch after.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going. I’ll see you later then?”

“Yep. Enjoy your movie and text me Viktor’s answer, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Mari. Even if it doesn’t happen, it means a lot that you did all of this.”

“You’re welcome, Adrien. Talk to you soon.”

She hung up and walked into Master Fu’s shop. Wayzz zipped around the corner and greeted her before leading her into the living area of the shop. Master Fu was at his table, enjoying a cup of tea, while another cup was sitting across the table where she normally sat.

“Welcome, Marinette. How nice of you to visit.”

“Thank you, Master Fu.” Marinette sat at the table and sipped her tea. Master Fu blended his own teas, so it was never the same twice, but it always put her at ease. “I was hoping you could clear something up for me.”

“I am always here to help, young Ladybug.”

“What do you know about the Butterfly miraculous’ powers? We know it is drawn to strong emotions and it grants powers, but can it create a mental link between Hawkmoth and the victim? Would Hawkmoth be able to scan a person’s thoughts and memories while the connection through the akuma is in place?”

Master Fu rubbed his chin in thought before taking out his tablet and scanning to the pages on the Butterfly Miraculous. “It is not something I have read or heard. Though anything is possible. Why do you ask?”

“Chat was asking if it would be safe to tell someone who he is, and I gave him some lame excuse about Hawkmoth being able to get that knowledge out of the person if they were akumatized. At least, I thought it was a decent excuse until I started to really think about it.”

“So, you are not really here to discuss the Butterfly Miraculous, are you?”

Marinette hung her head. “Not really, though we do need to figure that out. That discussion needs to happen when Chat is here as well.”

“Then what is really worrying you, Ladybug?”

“Chat and Adrien. Chat made some good points about telling his girlfriend who he is and, after really thinking about it, I agree with him. I feel like I’m living a hypocritical life, Master Fu. I hate lies and liars, yet here I am, doing exactly that. I know it’s for the safety of everyone, but I’m tired of it. Chat is the only one who understands, but we don’t really understand each other fully, not with the masks in the way.”

“Your masks are to keep you safe, Ladybug. Without them, you would be found quickly by Hawkmoth and you cannot let that happen.”

“I understand, Master Fu. I’m not proposing we pull a Chloe and tell the world, but why can’t we tell each other? Aren’t the Black Cat and Ladybug miraculous a pair and work better the closer their wielders are? Wouldn’t it be better for us?”

Master Fu sighed. “It is your decision, Ladybug. Neither I nor your kwami can stop you if that is what you really want to do. However, do remember that this will be another burden on you. If you do find out Chat’s identity, you will have to still keep it separated from his civilian one. I have heard of Cats and Bugs being found due to them slipping up in either of their forms because they became too complacent once they found out.”

“I think it’s a bad idea.” Tikki’s voice cut through the conversation. “You will only put yourself, Chat, and Adrien in danger if you go through with it.”

“How, Tikki? You keep saying that, but you won’t tell me how or why? If Hawkmoth can’t use our knowledge against us if we get akumatized, then what danger is there?”

Tikki’s big blue eyes shifted to Master Fu, who nodded slightly. “You care so much for those boys, Marinette. This is both a blessing and a curse. If you find out who is under the mask, I fear you will get distracted in battle, worrying more about his safety than your own. Please, drop this until Hawkmoth is defeated. You will understand at that time, I promise.”

Marinette stared at her kwami. She wasn’t sure if Tikki was right or wrong on this one. She knew she would fight to the death for either boy, but sometimes it scared her how her focus would change if Chat got hurt. She would often lose her focus on staying cool and using her head and become more emotionally driven. Thankfully, it has worked in her favor thus far, but she couldn’t be sure it would always be that way. The question bugging her was way that would change if she found out who was under the cat mask. Did she actually know him in her civilian life? Did she care for him and that is the worry Tikki had? That she would become even more reckless if she knew that someone she cared about was under the mask? But, she already cared for Chat, though it may not be the same way she cared for Adrien, so--

Marinette shook her head. She was giving herself a headache thinking in circles. She sighed and decided to let the topic rest for the day. She had more important things to worry about right now than whether or not she should tell Chat and Adrien who she was. She still had a small worry that they wouldn’t accept that sweet, clumsy Marinette was Ladybug, but those fears had become a ghost of what they once were. She had seen over the years how the two personas had bled together on both sides of her mask and both boys seemed to be okay with it, so there was no need to worry there.

“I will think on what you have said, Master Fu. Thank you for talking to me.”

“Anytime, Ladybug. I do understand what you are struggling with and I wish I could give you a straight answer, but each wielder must make these decisions for themselves.”

Marinette nodded. “Oh, after the holidays, I was hoping Chat and I could talk to you about our theories on Hawkmoth.”

“I look forward to it.”

\---

“No way, Adrien! The villain was evil and deserved the ending he got,” Alya argued as Marinette entered the cafe. “How can you say different?”

“He was lost in his own world of right and wrong, Alya. To him, he was doing nothing wrong. He needed a mental facility, not jail,” Adrien countered.

“Sounds like the movie was a success,” Marinette interjected as she slid into the booth next to Adrien.

“It was awesome, dudette. These two have been debating it since we left, though.” Nino took a sip of his hot chocolate, barely moving out of the way of Alya’s elbow. “Cool it, Als. I almost lost my chocolate.”

“We just have differing opinions on the ending, that’s all,” Alya huffed as the server stopped by to get Marinette’s order.

“I’ll have a veggie quiche and herbal tea, please.” Marinette smiled as the server walked away before turning her attention to her boyfriend. “Well, not to interrupt your discussion, but I never got a text from you.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I did.” Adrien looked away from Marinette and curled in a little on himself.

Marinette placed a hand on his thigh, near his knee. “No big deal. I just wanted to know what Viktor said.”

“His duffel bag is at your house. We were almost late because Mr. Model here couldn’t decide what clothes to pack.” Alya waved her fork toward Adrien as she spoke. “Not that I can blame him really, his closet is the size of my room.”

“Really?” Marinette’s eyes sparkled with excitement as Adrien nodded his head. “Great! We are going to have an awesome time! Tomorrow we can go shopping since I have a few more things to get anyway. This is going to be the best holiday ever!”

Adrien couldn’t help but smile at his girlfriend’s enthusiasm. She always had a way of knowing exactly what he needed and would go to the ends of the Earth to make sure he got it. He silently thanked his lucky stars that Marinette was in his life. 

“Adrien?” Marinette waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Adrien snapped out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Marinette rolled her eyes as the others snickered. “I was asking what you wanted to do this afternoon. I have to help in the bakery until it closes, so I won’t be able to hang out until after that.”

“Do you think I could help? I don’t know how to bake, but I’m sure I can help in some way.”

“Sure. We would never turn down a hard worker.” Marinette finished her food and waved the server over to pay. “Come on. We have to get going.”

Adrien quickly handed over enough cash for everyone’s meal, enduring the glares with a smile. “It’s a thank you for doing all of this for me,” he explained as he slipped out of the booth and helped Marinette into her coat. “We’ll see you guys later. Be safe on your trip, Alya.”

“Of course. Someone has to be here to keep poor Nino here company around you two love birds.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and Adrien just shook his head as they made their way out of the cafe and back toward the bakery. 

\---

Adrien flopped face-first onto Marinette’s chaise and groaned. His first shift in the bakery had been quite the learning experience and he felt like he had failed in every way possible. He dropped an entire tray of croissants on the ground, handed the wrong bag to a customer, and gave out the wrong information on some of the pastries.

He felt the chaise give as someone sat next to him and a hand found its way into his hair. He turned slightly and opened an eye to see Marinette sitting next to him, flour streaked across her cheek.

“It really isn’t as bad as it seems,” Marinette admitted as she continued to run her hand through his hair. “The first time I was allowed to help in the bakery, I almost burned the house down when I forgot about the bread in the oven.”

Adrien turned so he could fully see Marinette. “Really?” He watched her nod. “I’m surprised with how well you do everything.”

“It took years of practice to get where I am and you will get better if you keep at it too.” Marinette smiled reassuringly at him. “Maman sent me up here to tell you dinner is almost ready and you should probably wash up.”

“I think you should join me.” Adrien reached up and dusted the flour off her cheek. He laughed and sat up as she tried to pout at him. “Come on. We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.” He kissed her forehead and pulled her up into a quick hug before leading her downstairs to wash up.

\---

“So, what are we doing tomorrow?” Adrien pulled the blanket tighter around them as they settled in for a movie.

“I thought we would go shopping and then go skating in the park,” Marinette answered as she started the movie. “Unless there is something you want to do.”

“Not really. The only thing I remember doing at the holidays was baking with my mother. It was the one time I was allowed in the kitchen. We would make sugar cookies and cut them into shapes before attempting to decorate them. The icing was always really runny, so it wouldn’t stay on the cookies and we always made a huge mess. Then, we would go over to the piano and sing carols until bedtime.”

“Well, we don’t have a piano, but we can make sugar cookies tomorrow and sing to the radio. They are playing carols non-stop right now.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “That would be great, Mari! I can’t wait!”

Marinette smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. “If there is anything else, just say something, okay? I want this to be a holiday to remember.”

“It already is,” he whispered as the movie started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to get the next chapter out by Sunday night, but college is back in session, my classwork will be cutting into my writing time. I will finish this story though...no worries!


	25. Melt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien start their holiday together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has not been edited by my team, so please keep that in mind. I hope you enjoy!

Adrien woke up the next morning in a halo of warmth. He snuggled closer, refusing to open his eyes, even with a tempting smell waking his other senses. He was startled to full conscientious, his eyes snapping open when the warmth snuggled back. He took in the head of blue-black hair before he remembered where he was.

Marinette yawned and blinked up at him. “Good morning,” she greeted as she smiled. “How did you sleep?”

“Great. Best sleep I’ve had in a while. I don’t even remember falling asleep.” Adrien stretched and started to get up, hoping that her parents hadn’t seen them cuddled up together. He was sure that he wouldn’t be allowed back in their house if they had.

“You didn’t make it past the first song,” Marinette reported as she giggled. She reached over and ruffled Adrien’s bed head when he pouted. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t far behind you. I guess we were both worn out.” She stood up and stretched before heading over to her closet. “You can use the bathroom first if you want.”

“Are you sure?” Adrien turned to see Marinette smile and give a nod. “Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.” He grabbed his clothes and toiletry bag and headed downstairs. Once he was on the main level of the house, he saw Sabine’s head pop around the corner. “Good morning, Mrs. Cheng,” he greeted quietly, while he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Good morning, Adrien. I hope you slept well.” Sabine turned her attention back to the stove. “Breakfast will be ready in a minute. I hope you don’t mind sweet crepes.”

Adrien’s eyes twinkled as a smile found its way onto his lips. “I love anything sweet. I can’t wait.”

“Well, get cleaned up then,” Sabine chuckled as Adrien darted to the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed.

An hour later found both teens showered, dressed, and enjoying strawberry crème crepes while Sabine headed downstairs so Tom could have breakfast as well. Marinette was attempting to dot Adrien’s nose with cream in retaliation for his attack on her cheek when the door opened and Adrien froze. Marinette looked between Adrien and her father. It took a moment for everything to click in place, but once it did, she too sat still as Tom approached the table.

“Good morning, kids,” Tom greeted in his normal, vibrant manner. “I hope you were comfortable in our home last night, Adrien.”

“Yes, sir. Everything has been wonderful. Thank you again for allowing me to stay,” Adrien managed to say around the rock that sat in his throat.

“We are happy to have you. It just didn’t seem right for you to be alone, after all.” Tom cut into his crepes and started eating without another word.

\---

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked once they had stepped outside the bakery and made their way toward the Place des Vosges.

Adrien ran his hand through his hair. “I just don’t want to mess anything up with your parents and I feel like I did.”

“Because we fell asleep on the chaise?”

Adrien nodded, keeping his eyes averted from her.

Marinette stopped and placed a hand on his cheek, gently turning his gaze to her. “We did nothing wrong and my parents know that. After the night of the storm, I talked to them about everything. They understand and want to help as well.” She smiled up at him. “So don’t be surprised if you get extra doting when you are here.”

Adrien gave her a small smile back. “Okay. I can handle that better than them kicking me out for overstepping bounds.”

“They would talk to us before throwing you out. Now, stop worrying and let’s go.” Marinette tugged on the hand holding hers and they started walking again.

The market took up the entire park with booths selling all sorts of items. It was Adrien’s first time going to the open-air market, though he passed it all the time while being driven around. He was always curious about what lay inside the tents he could see and now, he was able to satisfy that curiosity. He and Marinette strolled lazily down the aisles, looking at everything offered and discussing pieces here and there. While Marinette stopped to get hot chocolate for them, Adrien darted back to a booth to pick up the perfect present for Mr. Dupain, a new apron that read “Quiche the cook.” Adrien met back up with Marinette, who had stopped at a booth at the beginning of the next aisle and they continued their journey.

By the end of the market, they had finished shopping and stopped back by the bakery to eat lunch and drop off their bags before heading back out to go ice skating. Marinette almost fell a few times, but Adrien was always there to catch her. After about an hour or so, Marinette asked to go, as it was getting a little too cold for her.

Once they were back, they made their way to the kitchen. Marinette began gathering ingredients for sugar cookies and icing while Adrien found a holiday station on his phone. The two lost track of time as they measured ingredients and sang carols. Adrien carefully rolled out of finished dough and they took turns cutting out shapes and rerolling the dough. 

Marinette turned around from placing the last of their cookies in the oven to find Adrien holding his hand out to her. She looked from it to his face before her ears caught the slow song playing from his phone. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her close, swaying to the beat of the song. Marinette closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest as Adrien moved them in a small circle. Adrien rested his head on hers and closed his eyes as well, enjoying holding her and being held.

They stopped when the timer went off and decided to play video games until the cookies were cool enough to decorate. After Marinette thrashed Adrien in four rounds of Mecha Strike, she showed him how to make royal icing and use the piping bags. Once he got the hang of it, they proceeded to ice their sugar cookies, though by the end of it, most of the frosting got on them instead of the cookies. Marinette had white streaks throughout her hair while Adrien’s hair looked like a rainbow. Both their faces were streaked in random colors and their clothes didn’t fare much better. They collapsed to the floor in a laughing pile at how ridiculous they looked, unaware of Sabine and her phone.

\---

“Did you have a good day?” Marinette inquired as she finished wrapping the last of her gifts.

“Best day ever!” Adrien proclaimed, his concentration momentarily stolen from the box he was attempting to wrap.

Marinette giggled and crawled over the floor to help. “I’m glad. Tomorrow will be even better. The bakery will be closed and we spend all day together unwrapping presents, playing games, and cooking together.”

“That sounds like fun. I can’t wait.” Adrien held up the wrapped box triumphantly. “Should we take them downstairs to the tree?”

“Sure.”

Marinette sat on the chaise and patted the spot in front of her. “So, what was your favorite part of the day?” 

“I don’t think I could pick one part of it,” Adrien admitted as he sat in front of Marinette. It took all his willpower not to purr when he felt her hands start massaging his scalp. He melted against her and closed his eyes. It reminded him of the way his mom used to run her fingers through his hair as she read him stories every night. His breathing evened out and he once again fell asleep wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for the lull in this story. I should be able to get back on track with the last 5 chapters starting on Wednesday. I will be out of town until Sunday night, which won't leave a lot of time to write before Monday. For those in the USA, enjoy your long weekend if you get it!!


	26. funny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It snows overnight, leaving fresh powder on the ground. What would any self-respecting kid do? We find out. Also, Christmas at the Dupain-Cheng's.

  
Adrien awoke the next morning when he felt a slight nudging on his shoulder. When he blinked his eyes open, Marinette was bent over him, an exciting look sparkling in her bluebell eyes.

“Wake up, sleepyhead!” she called when she noticed he was stirring. “It snowed last night and the hills at the park are perfect for sliding on!”

“Marinette,” Adrien groaned. “What are you doing up this early?”

“This is probably the only day I wake up super early on my own. Now, come on!” She nudged him again, this time hard enough to scoot him off the chaise and onto the floor.

Adrien grunted as he made contact with the floor. He stood slowly, rubbing his sore behind from its rough contact with the floor before his clothes were unceremoniously shoved into his arms. He looked from them to Marinette, who was already dressed in a heavy red cable knit sweater with white accenting, thick wool leggings, and thick socks. Her hair was pinned away from her eyes by clips but was down today.

“Go get dressed,” she urged, pushing him toward the door. “I want to take you sledding before brunch!”

Adrien quickly got ready and joined Marinette at the door where she was putting on her heavy winter coat and snow boots. He grabbed his coat and shoes and slid them on in time for Marinette to grab two plastic disks and dart out the door. Adrien couldn’t help but smile and gain some of her enthusiasm as she bounced and giggled in front of him. It was rare Adrien was able to enjoy a snow day like this. Normally he wouldn’t be allowed out, for fear of sickness or some other crazy excuse, but on the rare days he was given permission, it was only around the mansion grounds, which weren’t very fun.

The couple made their way to the park not far from Marinette’s home, the sound of laughing and screaming filled the air the closer they got. Adrien caught sight of Nino’s blue cap and his smile widened.

“Nino! What are you doing here?” Adrien bumped Nino’s fist as he reached him.

“You seriously think I would miss this?” Nino waved around at the slope where children of all ages were sliding down on everything from sleds to little disks like the ones Marinette had. Some even had cardboard boxes or nothing at all. Yet, all of them were having what looked like the time of their lives.

“You ready Adrien?” Marinette smiled up at him as she handed him a red saucer, keeping a pink one for herself. “It’s really easy. Nino, why don’t you go first and show him, then he and I will go together.”

“Sure thing.” Nino tilted his cap and walked over to the top of the hill, the others following behind. Nino took his position on his disk and used his hands to push off, giving himself a slight spin. He barreled down the incline, whooping and laughing until he was slowing to a stop at the bottom, using his feet as brakes.

“See, nothing to it,” Marinette assured, setting her own disk down.

“What happens if you run into someone?” Adrien asked, concerned about hurting someone accidentally. “It doesn’t look like you have much control over your path.”

“Happens all the time, actually.” Marinette shrugged. “You just apologize and help them up if they need it. It’s not really crowded today, probably because it’s Christmas, so we don’t have to worry about that so much.” She turned and smiled at him. “Come on, get settled in.” She held the back of Adrien’s disk and he cautiously stepped into it, sitting cross-legged as best he could. Before he could say anything, Marinette pushed him off, jumping into her own sled to follow.

Adrien’s wave of panic quickly turned into pure joy as he slid down. He yelped as he was bumped by Marinette’s sled, which turned into more laughter when he realized what had happened. He was having so much fun, he forgot the part about putting your feet out to stop. Nino grabbed the sled, but Adrien wasn’t ready and he tumbled into a snowdrift when the sled made the sudden stop.

“Adrien!” Marinette and Nino yelled at the same time. They ran over to where their friend had been buried in snow and sighed in relief as they heard his laughter coming from the area he landed.

“That was awesome!” Adrien shouted, climbing out from under the snow and dusting himself off. “Can we do it again?”

“Uh oh, we’ve created a monster,” Nino smirked as he picked up Marinette’s sled so she could help Adrien with his.

“Let him have fun,” Marinette scolded as everyone laughed. The teens continued looping the hill for the next hour or so until both Marinette and Nino’s phone chimed, letting them know it was time to go home.

“So, when do you have to go back?” Nino asked as he dusted off from a mishap on his last slide down.

“Tomorrow,” Adrien answered with a hint of melancholy. If it were up to him, and okay with the Dupain-Cheng’s, he would live with them until he was old enough to get his own place. Of course, it wasn’t up to him and so back to the cold, empty mansion he went.

“Well, try to have the best day then,” Nino bumped fists with Adrien and gave Marinette a hug. “I’ll see you in class next year if I don’t see you before then.”

Adrien and Marinette waved at Nino as he headed for the metro and they went back into the house. They removed their wet shoes and coats and proceeded to head up to the apartment. Once upstairs, they were greeted by Marinette’s parents, who were finishing up cooking brunch. Adrien went upstairs with Marinette to get a change of clothes, as his were wet from the snow, and changed in the bathroom while Marinette changed her leggings for a thinner pair in green.

“So, how as the sledding?” Tom asked as the four sat down.

“It was fantastic! I didn’t know it could be so much fun to slide down a hill!” Adrien answered enthusiastically, causing the group to laugh.

“I’m glad you have fun, dear,” Sabine added as she placed a plate in front of him. “What about you, Marinette?”

Before Marinette could answer, the doorbell rang. Marinette dashed downstairs as Adrien’s heart began to race. Was it Nathalie or Viktor? Was his father demanding he come home today for some reason? It was unusual for them to not text or call before changing plans, but not unheard of.

Marinette came back through the door with her grandparents trailing behind. Tom jumped up and greeted his parents while Marinette went to sit back down. She looked over to see Adrien breathing a sigh of relief and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Ah, so this is the boy our Marinetta is so fond of, yes?” Gina asked as she walked over to the table. “I am Gina, but you can call me Nonna.”

Adrien looked at Marinette, who nodded, before smiling back at Gina. “Nice to meet you, Nonna. I’m Adrien.”

“Oh, so polite is he? Rolland, why couldn’t you be more like this boy?” Gina took the chair Sabine offered her and began to make a plate.

“Because you aren’t nearly as sweet as our granddaughter,” Rolland huffed as he held out a hand to Adrien. “Rolland Dupain, but you can call me Pépère.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Adrien greeted, shaking Rolland’s hand.

Tom and Sabine brought up two more chairs to the table and the family settled in to start their holiday celebration. The meal was filled with laughter as Rolland, Gina, Tom, and Sabine all told embarrassing stories from the past. They also got into a pun contest, which no one was sure who actually won since everyone was in stitches before it was over. As Adrien wiped tears from his eyes, he still couldn’t believe that he was lucky enough to share in something like this. He glanced over at Marinette, who had her head down and was squeaking as she tried to breath through her laughter, and again found himself feeling at home.

Once the laughter and meal came to a close, the adults went to talk while the teens started to work on the dishes. Marinette also put water on for tea and started the coffee pot again. The duo made short work of the dishes and went about making everyone hot drinks.

“You are lucky,” Marinette whispered as she added cream to her Nonna’s coffee. “This is the first year Pépère has come to our holiday celebration and Nonna hasn’t been able to make in two years.”

“But, you got them something while we were out yesterday,” Adrien remarked, confused.

“Of course I did. Just because they don’t come doesn’t mean I don’t remember them. We just pack everything and ship it to them if they aren’t able to come.”

“That’s nice of you,” Adrien replied, not sure what else to say.

Marinette smiled warmly and handed him a tray. He followed Marinette into the living room where Tom was busying himself making sure he found everything from under the tree and had the packages in different piles. Once everyone had their drinks and were settled, Tom passed out gifts one at a time so the person opening could be the focus of the group. Tom loved his new apron and donned it immediately, while Sabine put her Chinese knot hair clip in her hair.

Marinette squealed when she opened her new sewing machine from her parents and the mountain of fabric from her grandparents. Marinette almost cried when she opened Adrien’s gift to find a beautiful bracelet and ring that matched her necklace.

Adrien was overwhelmed by the Dupain’s generosity already and wasn’t expecting to get anything, so he was surprised when a box was held out to him. He received one of the Zelda games he didn’t have, which was a surprise since he thought he had them all, an old gaming system from Rolland that he had refurbished after he heard of Adrien’s love of video games, a beautiful blanket from Gina that she said came from her travels in the orient, and Marinette had made him another winter set, this time in a plum color.

When it was time for the last present, Tom walked over in front of Adrien and handed him a small box with Santa cat paper on it. Adrien opened it and looked inside before his face shot up to look from Sabine to Tom in shock.

“Is this,” Adrien started, unable to finish the question.

Marinette peered over Adrien’s shoulder to see a duplicate house key in the box. She too looked at her parents with a quizzical expression.

“It is, Adrien,” Sabine answered. “We want you to feel like this is your home, too. Now, you can come over any time, since we tend to keep the door locked because of the bakery.”

Adrien hesitantly took the key out of the box and continued to look at like it held the answers of the universe in it. They were really giving him a key to their house? He had only been dating Marinette for a few months, but was this normal?

Marinette put a hand on his arm and nodded when he looked up at her. “It’s okay, Adrien. If they gave it to you, they want you to have it.”

With her reassurance, Adrien slipped the key onto his key ring. “Thank you, Mr. Dupain. Mrs. Cheng.”

“You are welcome, dear.” Sabine walked over and laid a gentle kiss on top of his head. “Now promise us you will come by as much as you can.”

“I will,” Adrien promised, smiling brilliantly at the group.

\---

“Marinette, I can’t thank you and your family enough,” Adrien spoke as he packed his bag with the clean clothes Sabine had brought up after dinner. “You guys didn’t have to do this and yet, you did and I--”

“Shh,” Marinette whispered, placing her hand to his mouth. “You don’t have to thank us. It’s the least we could do for you. You can stay anytime your father is gone since Maman and Papa gave you a key and all.”

“I still can’t believe it. I didn’t think parents did that with their teenage kids.”

“Normally, probably not, but they love you and want you to feel like you have a safe place you can come to where you don’t have to be Adrien Agreste, teen model, and all-around perfect guy. You can be just Adrien, the pun-loving dork.”

“As long as I can be _your_ pun-loving dork,” Adrien grinned as he pulled her close and brushed her lips with his.

Marinette broke from the kiss when the end for air became too great. “Yes, you can be _my_ pun-loving dork.”

Adrien knew that tomorrow Viktor would pick him up and he would head back to his dull, hectic routine. However, tonight, at this moment, he was still free to do as he wanted. He leaned in and kissed Marinette again, relishing the way her lips and body molded to his.

“One more movie night?” He asked as they separated.

“I’ll get the fort started if you want to pick a movie.”

After a few minutes, they were curled up in blankets, Adrien sitting up against the chaise with Marinette sitting in front of him, watching The Grinch. They continued to watch movies late into the night, neither wanting to go to sleep and let this day end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 4 more chapters to go! I hope you are enjoying the ride!


	27. Elated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to warn everyone who is following this...I am going to be taking a short hiatus. I decided to enter a writing contest for the conference I go to in November and the entries have to be in by October 1. I will post it here AO3 for comments as soon as it's ready. Wish me luck!!

Marinette sighed as she pushed away from her desk. She missed having Adrien sitting next to her, playing his portable gaming system or reading while she was engrossed in artistic inspiration. He had left a little less than a week ago, but it was still weird after having him there for four days. The best they were able to do with his schedule, and the string of akumas that showed up that week, was talk over the phone. It sucked, but there was nothing either of them could really do. She just had to be patient a bit longer, two days to be precise, until New Year’s Eve. Adrien asked her to go to Chloe’s annual party with him, knowing his father would give him the time to go. Gabriel never turned down an invitation to a Bourgeois event.

Marinette looked over at her mannequin where her dress for the party sat finished. It was a deep plum strapless dress with a flared skirt, all of which was overlaid in black lace, which came up over the bodice to a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves. Below it sat a pair of 2-inch black heels. The pairing looked great on her and she couldn’t wait for Adrien to see her. She had made a vest and tie out of the plum material for him to wear, which he quickly agreed to when she showed them to him last night. She just had to get through a night of Chloe being, well, Chloe, and she had enough practice doing that. She just wanted to have a nice night with Adrien, Alya, Nino, and the rest of her class.

\---

Adrien closed his bedroom door and slumped against it. He was exhausted from the day’s photoshoot, which ended up taking all day when his father added more outfits last minute. Sighing, he pulled away from the door and went to clean up. Dinner would be served shortly and then he had to get ready to pick up Marinette, Alya, and Nino to head to the party. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to cancel, Kit?” Plagg asked as he closed the mini-fridge door. “You look dead on your feet.”

“I’m fine,” Adrien insisted as he walked back into the room. “I’m not missing this party for the world.”

“Your funeral,” Plagg grumbled, chewing on his wedge of cheese. He knew Gabriel had been running Adrien hard since his return from the Dupain-Cheng household. Every day he had photoshoots that lasted hours before he had lesson after lesson to ‘catch up from his lack of focus,’ as Gabriel had called it. Personally, Plagg was ready to cataclysm Gabriel in the face for being such an Indian giver. He silently watched as his chosen left for dinner, wondering what Adrien would have to pay for being able to go to this party tonight.

\---

“Marinette,” Alya gasped as she gazed upon her best friend. “You are gorgeous!”

Marinette twirled in place, the full skirt flaring. “Thanks, Alya. You’re looking fabulous as well.”

“You know it girl!” Alya struck a few over-exaggerated poses. The dress Marinette had designed and made was a burnt orange v-neck wrap dress that hugged and accentuated all of Alya’s curves. She had paired the dress with black flats and she had pulled her hair into a high ponytail and curled it. “Now, let’s get downstairs. Nino just informed me that our ride is outside.”

“Please tell me Adrien didn’t bring the limo,” Marinette whispered as she took one last look in the mirror. Her hair and makeup would make 50s era Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor proud. She originally protested, but Alya wouldn’t budge, saying that it was only fitting her makeup and hair matched her dress.

Adrien and Nino were quietly whispering to each other when the door above them opened and the sound of the girls’ giggling reached them. They both turned in time to watch their girlfriends descend the last set of stairs. Adrien stepped to Marinette’s side and held out his hand to help her down the last few steps while Nino mirrored him with Alya. After greetings were exchanged and coats were donned, the couples walked outside to see Adrien’s black limo waiting for them.

Marinette groaned a bit as she slipped into the back of the vehicle, still not used to the extravagance that came with dating Adrien Agreste. She would’ve been just as happy with his sedan or even walking, since the hotel wasn’t that far from her house. She reasoned that it was probably Gabriel more than Adrien who had chosen their mode of transportation, so she tried not to let it get to her. After all, if she became a famous fashion designer, married Adrien, or, best case scenario, both...she would have to get used to being driven around in fancy vehicles.

Before long, the limo came to a stop and Viktor let the four teens out, nodding when they all thanked him before pulling away to park the car and wait. The friends headed inside and upstairs to the top floor below the pool deck where the party was being held. The room had been decorated in blacks and whites, with pops of yellow every so often. It was very subtle for a Chloe party, but Marinette had to say she liked it. They had barely made it out of the elevator before the hostess came bounding over.

“Adrikins!” Chloe called, walking up to give her childhood friend a hug and kiss. “How are you?”

“Just fine, Chloe. You look lovely as ever.”

“You’re just saying that,” Chloe feigned bashfulness. “Alya, Nino, glad you could make it.” Chloe gave cheek kisses to both guests before turning one last time. “Marinette, good to see you found another gem in that drab wardrobe of yours,” Chloe remarked with a small smile.

“All for you, Chloe,” Marinette shot back with a wink. Both girls giggled as they greeted each other. “The venue looks wonderful.”

“Of course it does, Jean-Pierre made sure of it,” Chloe snapped as she flipped her hair. It didn’t work nearly as well with her hair down as it did in her normal ponytail, but she got the point across. “If you will excuse me.”

“Marinette? Are you going to let her talk to you like that?” Alya whispered as the heiress left to greet more guests.

“That’s just the way Chloe is. She didn’t mean anything by it. Ever since the whole Lila thing, we’ve been on better terms, but she still has her moments.”

“Yeah, she didn’t call you Dupain-Cheng this time,” Nino observed as they made their way to their table. “Maybe she is trying. I mean, she invited the whole class to her party this year and she hasn’t been nearly as mean as she has in years past.”

“She really is a good person,” Adrien remarked, looking a bit wistful. “She just feels like she has to be over-the-top to get attention.”

“I can understand that,” Marinette agreed, thinking about Andre and Audrey. They were always so busy, one being the mayor of Paris and the other running a global fashion magazine empire from New York. Marinette wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t have turned out the same if she was in Chloe’s place.

“Anyway, enough of this. Let’s dance!” Alya jumped up and grabbed Nino, dragging him to his feet and toward the dance floor. “Catch you two later!”

Marinette shook her head as she watched her friends find a place and start dancing. The current song was Clara’s newest pop release and Marinette found herself bouncing along to the beat from her chair.

“So, have I mentioned how gorgeous you look tonight?” Adrien whispered in Marinette’s ear as he placed his arm across the back of her chair. He noticed Marinette’s cheeks darken as she ducked her head. “I’m serious,” he continued. “No one can hold a candle to your beauty.”

Marinette swatted at his chest as she giggled. “You sound almost like Chat Noir, but thank you. You look quite dashing yourself.”

“You think so?” Adrien feigned surprise as he backed up a bit. “A good friend of mine, who happens to be an outrageously talented designer, made it for me.” Adrien added a wink for good measure.

Marinette scoffed, taking mock offense. “Well, maybe I should go talk to this ‘good friend’ of yours. Sounds like she should be your girlfriend instead of me.”

Adrien held a hand to his chest. “Say it isn’t so, Mari! You would break up with me over my ‘good friend’?”

Marinette finally broke into laughter, unable to continue the teasing conversation. Adrien smiled and laughed along with her, happy to hear her laugh again. It just wasn’t the same over the phone.

Suddenly, Marinette was yanked out of her seat by a blur of orange. “Come on, you two. Stop being wallflowers and get out here,” Alya huffed as she pulled on Marinette some to try to get her moving toward the dance floor despite Marinette’s protests.

Adrien shrugged and got up, taking Marinette’s arm away from Alya. “Allow me to escort you, Mari.”

Marinette groaned, but allowed Adrien to lead her onto the dance floor as her favorite slow song began to play. She shot Alya a knowing look, watching as her friend shrugged. She turned her attention back to Adrien and wrapped her arms around his neck while he placed his hands on her waist. They slowly turned to the music, and Marinette snuggled closer to Adrien, allowing him to wrap his arms tightly around her, both happy to have this time together after being apart for what felt like forever.

“Alright everyone,” Chloe’s voice rang out through the speakers. “Let’s head to the roof for the best seats in Paris to ring in the new year!”

Everyone excitedly headed up the winding staircase after Chloe and surprisingly, Luka. It seems that after everything that had happened between Marinette, Adrien, and Luka, Chloe had started talking to him and they hit it off. Marinette and Adrien were the last up the stairs and found a spot near the railing as the countdown began.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien leaned in, placing his chin on her shoulder so she could hear him better. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me over the years, but especially this year.”

Marinette turned slightly in his embrace, allowing her to look into his emerald eyes as he continued.

“You have been my rock when I felt like I was drifting away, my light when I was lost, and my hope when all I had was despair.” He reached up and cupped her cheek, smiling when she nuzzled it slightly. “I don’t know what the future holds for either of us, but I do know that I want to remain by your side through it all.”

“I would love nothing more,” Marinette whispered before the shouts rang out and the new year was ushered in with a fantastic fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower. However, they were dwarfed by the sparks Marinette felt as her lips brushed Adrien’s, sealing their quiet promise to one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead yet! Had to throw the movie reference in....Sorry this took so long! I promise I am still here and still working diligently to finish this story before embarking on our next adventure. Only 3 more chapters and possibly an epilogue to go! Enjoy!
> 
> Picture of Marinette's dress: https://us.shein.com/50s-Mesh-Overlay-Tie-Neck-Flare-Dress-p-643382-cat-1727.html?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=women_fbadsusdpadress181122063&url_from=women_fbadsusdpadress181122063&fbclid=IwAR0uju4czxW2TiEk6czqiPeXtSIjj6bRUG9kYWpSywfaaCJcVs2L0OLb9Z8


	28. Helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien learns the truth of things and Marinette is there for him. Ladrien time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive, I promise! This chapter and the one following it have eluded me for weeks. Nothing I wrote worked and I got frustrated. Season 3, particularly Chat Blanc, did not help with my writer's block. However, Sunday night I had a breakthrough and these chapters flowed onto the screen.

Gabriel stared at the portrait of his wife, readying himself for what was to come. It had taken him a month to find a facility that could help Nathalie and get her settled. Thankfully, he had convinced her to give up the Peacock miraculous before she found herself in the same state as Emilie. Now, he would implement the next step in his plan. He needed a new ally, and he knew just where to go and how to get them to fold to his will. It wouldn’t be that hard, considering the date and the emotional turmoil that came with it. A few soft words and he would have his new ally begging to help him.

A soft knock brought a smile to his face that he quickly banished, returning to the stoic face he is known for, and uttered the two words that would start his plan to victory over those bothersome teenagers.

“Come in.”

\---

Marinette paced her room, getting more worried with every pass. Today was the anniversary of Adrien’s mother’s disappearance and she hadn’t heard from Adrien all day. She had texted him a number of times that day to tell him that she was here if he needed and other supportive things, but they were all met with radio silence.

“Do you think he’s okay, Tikki?”

The little kwami looked up at her chosen. “I’m sure he is, Marinette. Maybe he just wants to be alone today.”

Marinette was doubtful but didn’t say anything. She continued to pace until her nervous energy became too much for her. “Maybe I’ll go out for patrol and swing by his house, just to make sure.”

Calling her transformation, Ladybug darted through the skylight and was about to launch her yo-yo when she felt it buzz. Opening it, she found a message from Chat:

**_Ladybug, I was on patrol earlier today when I ran into Adrien Agreste, who was insistent that he speak with you. He asked that I get this message to you: meet him at_ _Jardin des Tuileries at 22:30. Cat-ch ya later, LB. - Chat_**

Ladybug looked at the time on her yo-yo. 22:25. She gasped and sped to the meeting location. She landed in the gardens and caught sight of his golden hair. Quietly, she made her way over to him through the shadows, keeping an eye out for any late-night travelers.

When she got to him, Ladybug tapped him on the shoulder before speaking. “Hello, Adrien-” was all she managed to get out before he spun toward her and she got a look at his face. 

His normally vibrant green eyes were dull, almost haunted in a way. The bags under them didn’t help her worry either. He didn’t even smile when he turned, which was unusual for him.

“Hey, Ladybug,” he greeted, his voice tired and hoarse. “I wasn’t certain that you would be here, but I’m glad you came.”

“I’m always willing to speak to the citizens of Paris,” Ladybug replied in what she hoped was a comforting voice. “Why don’t we go somewhere a bit more private. Chat’s message made it sound like you had something important to talk about and we wouldn’t want anyone overhearing, am I correct?”

Adrien nodded and followed the spotted heroine deeper into the trees. They walked in silence for about five minutes before Ladybug sat against a large tree and motioned for Adrien to join her. He rubbed his arms, clearly debating with himself before taking a seat next to her, though he didn’t face her.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Ladybug coaxed.

Adrien drew in a deep breath before he let his eyes fall into his lap. “I-” he started, but stopped as he choked back a sob.

Ladybug tentatively reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he didn’t flinch back, she reached further to rub soothing circles on his back. “I understand that today is not an easy day for you, am I right?” She watched him nod. “For what it’s worth, I’m so sorry to hear about it. If you need some time, I’ll keep watch for you.”

Adrien nodded again before he finally let the dam he had been hiding behind break. He cried and let everything that had happened that day out. He finally spoke again after about fifteen minutes. “I wanted to see you today because I know who Hawkmoth is and why he’s been terrorizing Paris.” Ladybug’s eyes were wide as saucers, though Adrien couldn’t see. Adrien continued to talk, relaying the events that had happened that morning.

\---

_Adrien was in his room practicing his piano when he was summoned to his father’s atelier. It was unusual for Gabriel to talk to Adrien at all, but especially today. He looked over at this computer, smiling at the background photo of him and his mom, before heading down to meet with his father._

_Knocking quietly on the door, he heard a quick ‘Come in’ and opened the door, quickly closing it behind him. He glanced at the painting of his mother before speaking, before settling his eyes on his father’s back. “You asked to see me, Father?”_

_“I did,” Gabriel answered without turning around. “As you know, Nathalie is currently on leave, recovering from an illness at a hospital in the country.” Gabriel turned to fix his son with a stern look. “I believe it is time I told you what is going on with both her and your mother.”_

_Adrien’s mouth dropped open. What did Gabriel mean, what happened to them? Was his mother still alive? Why would she leave and not take him or at least send word that she was okay all of these years? What is going on?_

_Gabriel continued, not noticing or seeming to care about his son’s inner turmoil. “Many years ago, your mother and I took a trip to Tibet. While there, we found the book you found as well as two pieces of jewelry. Two brooches, to be precise. I bought the book to use for inspiration, while your mother purchased the brooches, giving one to me and keeping the other. The brooch she gave me was one of a butterfly, which became the symbol for my company. Your mother kept the one shaped like a peacock, loving the vibrant colors.”_

_Adrien’s heart hammered in his chest as he tried to decipher the information. His parents found the book of superheroes in Tibet, along with two brooches, which happened to resemble the missing miraculous. Something wasn’t sitting right with Adrien, but he couldn’t put his finger on it._

_“To be frank, we found that these were not just mere pieces of jewelry, but magic talismans that could make us into superheroes, much like Chat Noir and Ladybug. However, the Peacock was broken and your mother fell ill. Before I realized what was wrong, it was too late. That is why I’m searching for the Black Cat and Ladybug miraculous. I need them to bring your mother back to us.”_

_Adrien’s world came to a complete stop and then crashed around him. “You’re-” he started, his eyes wide in disbelief and panic._

_“Yes, Adrien. I am Hawkmoth and I need you to help me bring your mother back. Nathalie can no longer perform her duties as Mayura, and I need a new ally if I am to defeat the heroes and bring her back.”_

_Gabriel walked down to where Adrien stood frozen and took his hand, placing something in his open palm. Adrien looked down to see the peacock miraculous in his hand before looking up into his father’s eyes._

_“You want me to join you as the next peacock holder?” Adrien whispered._

_“Yes. With you by my side, I am sure we will succeed. You are perfect for this, just like you are at everything else you do. Join me, my son, and help me put this family back together.”_

_Adrien was honestly torn. He was the Black Cat holder. He was one of the two heroes fighting Hawkmoth, his FATHER, to keep Paris safe. However, he also wanted his mother back. He was just a boy who missed his mother dearly, especially today, and wanted her love and life back with him._

_A slight pressure on his chest brought him back from his thoughts. Plagg’s way of letting him know he needed to talk to him. He needed to get out of here and talk to the kwamis._

_“May I think about it for a day? This is a lot to take in.”_

_“I will call you tomorrow for an answer. Keep the miraculous until then and learn about it from Duusu. However-” Gabriel’s tone turned to ice when he spoke next, “you will help me, one way or another.”_

_Adrien nodded before walking back to his room. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this mess, but he knew one thing was for sure...he needed to tell Ladybug._

\---

Ladybug was silent for a few minutes after Adrien finished, letting everything sink in. It just wasn’t fair. Hadn’t this sweet, amazing boy been through enough? Not only had he lost his mom, but his dad was a terrorist who wanted to bring his own son down with him! Ladybug was seeing red.

Adrien’s voice cut through the swirling thoughts of how to murder Gabriel Agreste in Ladybug’s mind. “I just don’t know what to do. I don’t want to help him, but I want my mother back so much.”

“Adrien, we will figure something out. That I can promise you,” Ladybug answered, her voice sure and calm. She wouldn’t let Adrien suffer, nor would she let him become an accomplice to a known terrorist. “For now, I think we need to get you somewhere safe, away from the situation. I’m going to take you to a safe house where no one would think to look for you if you are okay with that.”

“I don’t know,” Adrien responded. “Father wants my decision tomorrow morning, so I need to be there.”

“Adrien, can you answer me honestly?” Ladybug asked.

Adrien nodded.

“Do you feel safe in that house?”

Adrien shook his head.

“Then we are going to take you somewhere safe. I will deal with Gabriel Agreste if it comes to that. You don’t have to worry about him tonight.”

“I can’t, Ladybug,” Adrien sighed. “If I’m not there, he will go to every one of my friends and could even akumatize someone just to find me. I wouldn’t put it past him to fire my bodyguard to reakumatize him into Gorizilla. I have to go home.”

Ladybug sighed, but she knew that she couldn’t kidnap him. “If that's your decision. However, if at any time you need to get in touch with me, contact Chloe or Alya. They can both signal me and I'll be there as soon as I can.”

Adrien nodded again. “Thanks, Ladybug.”

“I’m going to look for Chat and tell him what’s going on so we can make a plan. We need to act quickly so you aren’t in danger any longer than necessary.” Ladybug placed her hands on Adrien’s shoulders. “Please stay safe, Adrien.”

“I will, Ladybug.”

“Do you need me to take you home?” Ladybug asked, taking her yo-yo off her hip.

Adrien shook his head. “No. I've got a way to get home. Thank you, though.”

Ladybug hesitated, not entirely okay with leaving Adrien at the park by himself. However, she saw a flash of silver and figured he had his driver waiting for him. With a goodbye and a salute, she swung to a nearby rooftop and left a message for Chat to meet her at Notre Dame as soon as possible.

Adrien watched as Ladybug swung away, thankful she hadn’t pushed taking him home. He looked down at Plagg, who simply nodded before swirling into the ring and transforming Adrien into Chat. Opening his baton, he read Ladybug’s message and darted over to their meeting spot, curious to find out how Ladybug planned to get Adrien out of the mess his family had made.


	29. Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is confronted and the heroes learn more about things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost at the end! Again, sorry for leaving everyone for so long, but I promise I'm back and this is almost complete! Thank you again for sticking around!!

Master Fu was a bit surprised to find the two heroes sitting in his parlor the next morning. It was unusual for them to come together, but he had a feeling something was wrong before Ladybug showed, with Chat following a short time later. He had invited them both to sit before making tea and joining them.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning?” Fu asked as he poured tea for his guests.

Ladybug took a sip of her tea before answering. “Master, we have information on Hawkmoth, but are unsure how to proceed.”

Master Fu looked between the two heroes, noting Chat’s slumped shoulders and his gaze trained to the table. It was unlike the other times he had seen the heroes together, where Chat’s gaze never left his partner for long. “What is it that you seek?”

“A solution,” Ladybug answered. “Hawkmoth wants to bring someone back. His wife used the broken miraculous and is now in a coma. His assistant also used the miraculous, but stopped before she also fell. Now, he’s given his son the equivalent of an ultimatum to gain his help.” Ladybug looked over at her partner before continuing. “We were hoping you might know something that will help us resolve this before his son is also hurt by the peacock miraculous or turned into Hawkmoth’s latest akuma.”

Master Fu nodded his understanding of the situation and retrieved the tablet with the Grimoire scanned on it. “I am sure I can find something that will be of use to you. I will send Wayzz to you when I do.”

“With all due respect, Master Fu, we do not know how much time the son has before his father takes matters into his own hands. Maybe we should all be here to help find a solution. If you need our kwamis, I’m sure we can find a solution that will allow them to help,” Ladybug insisted. She just couldn’t stand by and wait while Adrien was in trouble.

“Tikki may be of some assistance, as she was used to make the miraculous in the beginning,” Master Fu answered as he began to swipe through the book. “However, Plagg will not.”

Chat shuddered involuntarily at his words. He didn’t want to go home. He had already had the meeting with his father earlier and he had been able to gain another twenty-four hours to ‘practice his powers’ before his father expected him to be ready to assist him. However, before he could speak up, Ladybug beat him to it.

“I will not leave Chat out anymore, Master. We are a team and we will both be needed to take down Hawkmoth if we can’t come up with another solution.”

Master Fu smiled and nodded. He was happy to see that his chosen were more in sync in recent months and didn’t want to hinder that in any way. “Then we will get to work.”

\---

A few hours later, Ladybug was headed to the Agreste mansion. She wasn’t sure the plan they had come up with would work, but it was their best bet. If what Master Fu found in the book was to be believed, they could get everyone affected by the peacock miraculous back without using the Black Cat and Ladybug to make a wish. However, she wasn’t so sure Gabriel would go along with the plan.

She came to the long bank of windows that made up one wall of Adrien’s room and knocked. The blonde model jumped up from his chair and let her in.

“Hello, Adrien. Did Chat stop by to tell you what we found?” Ladybug asked as she strapped her yo-yo back to her hip.

“He did,” Adrien said hesitantly.

“We will do everything we can to get her back, Adrien. I can’t promise this will work, but my kwami is optimistic.”

Adrien nodded, though he was hesitant to let hope in. He walked over to the door and opened it, allowing Ladybug to go through before leading her to his father’s atelier. He knocked on the door and opened it before there was an answer, waiting for Ladybug to pass through before pulling it shut.

Ladybug watched as Gabriel’s expression went from annoyed to surprised to something as close to proud as he was capable of. She narrowed her eyes in response and put herself slightly in front of Adrien on instinct.

“Adrien, I’m surprised you worked so quickly to bring me Ladybug. I knew you would not disappoint me,” Gabriel praised as he stood from his desk and walked toward the duo.

“Adrien told me who you are and what you are planning on doing,” Ladybug replied, trying to take control of the situation. “Your plan will fail, no matter if you obtain your goal or not. I will not stand by while you risk the lives of Parisians to regain what you have lost.” She watched as Gabriel scowled at her, his anger evident. “However, we have found a way to repair the miraculous and with it, the possibility of undoing the damage to everyone it affected. We are willing to go through with the ritual, but only if you give us back the butterfly miraculous. We will need all the kwamis to complete the ceremony.”

“No,” Gabriel snapped. “You will not take away the one way I have to get my wife back on a mere possibility. I know that the wish can reweave the fabric of time. I can reset to a time before we got the miraculous so we never find them.”

“But you could lose Adrien,” Ladybug countered. “Is he worth so little to you that you would sacrifice his existence in any capacity?”

“Not at all,” Gabriel retorted, gaining some of his composure back. “I would make sure that Adrien is unharmed when the wish is made.”

“It doesn’t work like that.” Ladybug shook her head. “You don’t get to tell the universe how to interpret your wish or how it is carried out. Even if you get your wife and keep your son, they may not be the people they are now. They may not even remember you. Are you willing to risk them being in this world, but not knowing who you are? Would you be willing to live knowing they are so close, but so far out of reach?”

“Father,” Adrien cut in. “Please listen to her! She is only trying to help us. This plan is our best chance of getting Mother back. Your way hasn’t worked! Let her try!”

Gabriel wanted to argue, but he hesitated. Maybe he could work with this little plan of theirs and gain knowledge as well. “Fine. I will agree to allow Nooroo to go with you, but his miraculous stays with me.”

Ladybug was about to tell him it was all or nothing, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking back, she saw Adrien slightly shake his head. Sighing, she turned back to Gabriel and nodded. “We will take Nooroo and Adrien until everything is complete.”

It was Gabriel’s turn to watch Adrien nod to him. He called to Nooroo and ordered him to stay with Ladybug until the ritual was complete. He watched the three of them leave and turned back to the portrait of his wife, finding the triggers that would allow him access to her crypt. He wanted to be there when she opened her eyes.

\---

Ladybug paced anxiously around Fu’s parlor as Adrien watched her. Neither had said much since they left Gabriel, both lost in their own worlds. In order for this to work, their masks had to come off in order for their kwamis to participate. Tensions were high as Master Fu came into the room, customary tea in hand.

“It is good to see everyone made it safely,” he commented as he sat at the table with Adrien, Wayzz, and Nooroo. “I’m sure we will have you and Duusuu back with us in no time, Nooroo.”

The little butterfly kwami nodded his head. “Thank you. You do not know how much it would mean for us to return to our brethren.”

Ladybug slumped into the cushion across from Adrien with an irritated look. “Where is that cat? He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!”

Adrien flinched at the mention of Chat’s absence, but he hadn’t been able to get away from Ladybug long enough to transform. He looked over at Master Fu, hoping he might have a solution, but the guardian merely sipped his tea. Well, Adrien had always been the one to want this anyway, might as well rip the band-aid off.

“Chat’s been here the whole time, LB,” Adrien remarked, causing Ladybug’s gaze to snap to his, her twin tails bouncing at the movement. Adrien rubbed his neck. “Surprise?” He murmured as Plagg floated out of his pocket and waved at Ladybug.

“Adrien-” Ladybug began, putting a hand over her mouth. “You’re Chat?”

“And one of the best, if I do say so myself,” Plagg interjected.

“Thanks, Plagg,” Adrien whispered before he looked back at Ladybug, who seemed to be in the middle of an existential crisis. She was muttering to herself and he wasn’t sure what he could do to help her.

Suddenly her muttering stopped and there was a flash of pink light. When Adrien opened his eyes again, Marinette was sitting across the table from him, a small red and black kwami hovering over her shoulder, her eyes trained on the table in front of them. It took Adrien about thrity seconds to restart his brain before he leapt over the table and crushed his girlfriend in a hug. “Marinette! I’m so glad that you’re Ladybug! I couldn’t think of a better person for it! I’m sorry I put you through so much, on both sides of the mask.”

Marinette squeaked when she was bowled over, but returned the hug. “No worries. I’m just glad we kept you safe. Though, now our abilities to get ahold of elusive superheroes and disappearances make more sense.”

They shared a laugh and a kiss before untangling and sitting beside each other, still holding hands.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir, are you ready to assist the kwamis in repairing the broken miraculous?”

The pair looked at each other before turning to Master Fu. “We are,” they replied in unison, squeezing their joined hands in solidarity and comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go, and possibly an epilogue...not sure on that yet. Either way, there will be closure for everything, promise! The last chapter should be up this week, as I won't have much time now that my new semester has started! I wanted to get this done before I get buried in schoolwork! Thanks again and see you next time!


	30. it ends where it began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we learn the fate of Emilie, our heroes, and their mentor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the last official chapter of CIM. I hope you have enjoyed the ride with me. I cannot thank everyone enough for the kudos and comments that this story has received! I also cannot apologize enough for my absence during the school semester. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others!!

Gabriel stood next to his wife’s open casket, taking her hand in both of his. He gaze clouded as a memory came to the front of his mind.

_ Gabriel walked into the parlor, drawn by the music and soft giggles coming from within. Emilie was sitting on the bench, a young Adrien next to her. _

_ “Try again, my darling,” Emilie cooed to the boy. _

_ “It’s too hard,” Adrien whined, dropping his hands from the keys. “I’m just too small. I’ll never play like you.” _

_ “Never say never, Adrien,” his mother remarked, placing his hands back on the keys and setting hers back as well. “I was once small and inexperienced, like you. You will grow into the piano in time.” _

_ Huffing, Adrien began playing the opening section of “Merry Go Round of Life” at a slow pace, his mother humming along. This time, he made it through to the end without missing any notes and grinned up at his mother. “I did it!” _

_ “Yes, you did!” She exclaimed as she hugged him. “One day, you will be an even better pianist than I am, I can tell.” _

_ “No one is better than you, Mère. Right, Père?” Adrien turned to his father expectantly. _

_ “You are quite right, Adrien,” Gabriel agreed as he walked further into the room. _

_ “You are both biased,” Emilie huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. _

_ Gabriel leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Of course not. It is the honest truth. For now, anyway.” He looked over at Adrien and winked. _

_ “Two against one, Mère! We win!” Adrien jumped into his mother’s lap, causing her to giggle with him. _

_ “Thank you, both. Now, who wants to go get some ice cream?!” _

_ “I do!” Adrien threw his hand in the air and waved it around. _

_ “Emilie, it is too close to dinner for treats,” Gabriel remarked sternly, causing Adrien’s smile to fall. _

_ “It’s fine,” Emilie argued, placing a kiss on Adrien’s forehead and putting him down. “Go get your coat, kitten.” _

_ Gabriel shook his head as Adrien scurried out of the room to obey his mother. “You spoil him, Em. That was not the Chopin piece he is supposed to be learning.” _

_ “He already played that one for an hour, Gabe.” Emilie turned her eyes from the door and looked up at Gabriel. “Let him be a child and have fun while he can.” Her hand reached up to hold his, giving a small squeeze. _

A strange realization jolted Gabriel from his memory. Emilie hadn’t held or squeezed his hand at that time. Confused, he looked down to find that her hand was wrapped around his. His eyes shot to her face to see her eyes fluttering open. She looked around for a moment before her gaze met his.

“Gabriel,” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “Where are we? What happened? Where is Adrien?”

Gabriel leaned down and wrapped his arms around his wife, feeling hers weakly do the same. “Don’t worry, Em. Everything is fine now.”

\---

Marinette opened her eyes to find herself lying on the floor of Master Fu’s shop, Tikki hovering over her. She sat up slowly, trying to piece together what had happened.

“Marinette, are you alright?” Master Fu asked, helping the young heroine sit up.

“I think so,” she replied, shaking her head to clear it some more. She looked across the table to see Adrien in much the same state. How long had they been like that?

“Were we able to fix it? Is everything okay now?” Adrien asked.

“Yes! You did it!” Duusu answered, flying in circles above the table. “My miraculous and my owners are whole once more!”

Marinette watched as Adrien’s face lit up and tears welled in his eyes. “Come on,  _ Chaton, _ let’s get you home.” She called for her transformation and took Adrien’s hand, helping him stand. They were almost to the door when Master Fu’s voice stopped them.

“Please remember that the butterfly miraculous is still out there, Ladybug. You must retrieve it.”

Ladybug nodded. “Of course. I’ll take care of it as soon as I get Adrien home.”

Adrien and Ladybug landed in Adrien’s room a short time later, the former buzzing in nervous anticipation. He all but bolted for the door, but stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

“What’s wrong, Adrien?” Ladybug asked as she joined him.

“What if Duusu was wrong? What if she doesn’t remember me?” Adrien whispered.

“A mother will never forget her child, Adrien. As for Duusu, we just have to trust what she said. Come on, I’ll go with you.”

With a nod and a grateful smile, Adrien opened the door and headed downstairs. He wasn’t sure where his parents would be, but he started his search in their room. The door was slightly ajar and he could hear two voices inside. He quietly knocked before pushing the door open.

There, lying on the bed, was his mother. His father was sitting in a chair next to her, their hands intertwined. It was something Adrien never thought he would see again. He slowly moved towards the bed, scared that this was a dream and he would wake up upon reaching it.

“Adrien, my kitten,” his mother cooed, letting go of Gabriel’s hands to spread her arms open for him. “You’ve grown so much.”

“Mere,” Adrien sobbed as he fell into his mother’s embrace, holding her tightly to make sure that she was there and this was real.

Gabriel smiled at the reunion before movement caught his eye. He turned to see Ladybug standing in the hallway, silently watching, with a smile on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks. He quietly got up and met her in the hall, closing the door partially behind him.

“I believe my family owes you our gratitude. You did what I could not,” Gabriel started, holding out his hand and the butterfly miraculous to her.

Ladybug looked down at his hand, then up at him, before shaking it. “I didn’t do that much. I’m just glad Adrien has his family back.”

Gabriel nodded and turned to re-enter the bedroom, closing the door shut behind him.

\---

**Three days later**

“Citizens of Paris,” Ladybug began from her place on the stage in front of the Eiffel tower. “Two years ago, from the beams above me, I vowed to all of you that Chat Noir and I would protect you from the villain known as Hawkmoth and defeat him once and for all. Today, that promise has been fulfilled!” 

The crowd cheered before Ladybug motioned for them to quiet. “Chat Noir and I confronted Hawkmoth after chasing him down. Unfortunately, he was killed during the battle and my cure was unable to bring him back, as his death was the result of a fall and not connected to the miraculous in any way. His identity will not be disclosed, out of respect for his family, who did not know about his activities.” 

There were some shouts and grumbles from the crowd. “With his defeat, it is time for our retirement. We are no longer needed to keep Paris safe and will be returning our miraculous as well. We cannot thank you enough for your support all of these years and we can only hope that, if the need arises again, you will once again support the new heroes as you have us.” 

She turned to Chat and held out her fist. “So, what do you say, partner? One more time?”

He stepped closer to her and bumped her fist with his. “Pound it!” they shouted in unison and the crowd exploded in cheers.

That day, there was a parade held in their honor, as well as parties throughout Paris. As the superhero duo moved along the rooftops for the final time, they could feel the spirit of Paris becoming brighter than the lights on the tower. All too soon, they dropped into a familiar alley and released their transformations for the last time. Adrien took Marinette’s hand and led her to the familiar shop where they would bid goodbye to their kwamis and Master Fu. He had already told them he would be leaving for Tibet and the monastery of the Guardians once the miracle box was once again whole. Neither teen wanted to lose their companions or their mentor, but they understood that they were no longer needed and it would be dangerous to keep their miraculous. So, they bid Tikki and Plagg goodbye one final time and placed their miraculous in the top of the box.

Two days later, Master Fu’s shop was empty when they walked past it.

\---

Master Fu climbed the stone steps that had once brought him dread. He had never wanted to be a Guardian, and had made a huge mistake that had caused the temple to go missing. He knocked on the door and waited for entrance. It wasn’t long before another guardian answered and escorted Fu to a meeting room. 

“Wang Fu, it is unexpected to see you again after all of these years,” one of the gathered guardians announced. “To what do we owe this meeting?”

“Master Chen,” Fu started, placing the miracle box in front of him and bowing his head. “I have only come to return the miraculous to the Order.”

“Will you not be staying?” Another guardian asked.

“I did not think I would be welcomed,” Fu answered truthfully.

“What you did was reckless, but you have learned your lesson and, from what we can see, have become a noble and wise Guardian without our assistance.” Master Chen looked between the others assembled before continuing. “We are in need of someone who can inform us about what has happened since that fateful night. We believe you, Wang Fu, would be the right person for this task.”

Wang Fu looked up at Master Chen. “It would be my honor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's concert piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUT_0c2QVzo&feature=youtu.be
> 
> Adrien and Emilie's piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFsREhllq0c
> 
> And there it is...the official end to this story. I had a lot of fun writing this story, even if it made me pull my hair out when writer's block set in. I hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as enjoyed taking you on it. There will be an epilogue of fluff coming soon, so stay tuned!
> 
> I am also working on a drabble series...so I hope you check that out when it posts! Also, come find me on Tumblr: @synkiller82


	31. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's next for our heroes? Let's find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright ladies, gents, and everyone everywhere...here it is: the end of this monster! This chapter takes place 2 years after the last chapter and our heroes are both 18, with Adrien being almost 19. I hope everyone enjoys the pure fluff!

“Adrien,” Emilie called softly from the other side of his bedroom door. “If you don’t leave now, you are going to be late.” When she didn’t hear him reply, she slowly opened the door to peer inside and found her son fiddling with his outfit and hair in the bathroom mirror. “Nervous?”

Adrien’s head whipped toward his mom, a blush appearing on his cheeks. “That obvious?”

Emilie smiled as she walked over to him, straightening his collar and brushing off his shoulders with her hands. “It’s okay to be nervous. This is a big step. I thought your father was going to pass out when he asked me.”

Adrien chuckled at the image. “I didn’t think Father could be nervous about anything.”

“He was sweating bullets that day, and at our wedding. However, I never saw him more nervous than when he held you for the first time, like you would break if he moved at all.” Emilie pulled Adrien into a hug. “We love you, kitten, and so does Marinette. I’m sure everything will go well and we will be anxiously awaiting your return.”

Adrien squeezed his mother tightly, thankful to finally have her back. It had been a rough few months after her coma was reversed and she found out what had happened during her absence. After that, the family was able to heal and grow closer over the last two years, which Adrien was eternally thankful for. He finally had the relationship with his parents he wanted and they were allowing him to make decisions about his future, which started with his date tonight. He let go of his mom and led her out of the room and down the stairs to the foyer where his father and Nathalie were awaiting his departure.

“Alright, wish me luck!” Adrien called as he rushed out the door to the waiting limo, nodding at his father and Nathalie.

His parents just smiled knowingly as they watched his car pull out of the gates.

\---

“Are you sure this looks okay?” Marinette asked as she spun in front of her mirror. She had spent the better part of the afternoon searching for the right outfit for tonight’s date.

“For the last time, girl, you could show up in a potato sack and Adrien would tell you that you look beautiful. Stop fretting!” Alya replied, her exasperation lacing her words.

Marinette knew that, but tonight was special. It was the four year anniversary of the day they became heroes and Adrien had told her he had a surprise for her, so she was more nervous than usual. He always had these grand plans, like the flower race all over Paris just to show her how much he cared, and she was sure today would be no exception.

She was currently wearing a knee length red and black dress and black low-heeled wedges, as he had told her they would be walking a bit. Alya had styled Marinette’s hair into a half-up style, a bun held by a ladybug comb and the rest in soft curls down her back. The necklace Adrien had given her was around her neck, the pink stones shimmering in the light of her room.

Before she could protest and try yet another outfit, her mother’s voice came from the trap door, letting her know Adrien had arrived. With one last look in the mirror, she pulled Alya into a tight hug, thanking her for everything, before grabbing her purse and heading down the stairs.

The girls came down to find Adrien standing inside the door, speaking quietly to Sabine in Chinese. Marinette took a moment to appreciate Adrien’s outfit, black slacks with a green short-sleeve polo, before she made her presence known.

“Ready to go?” She asked as she walked up to Adrien, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Yep,” Adrien replied as he held out his arm for her to take.

“Have fun, you two,” Sabine called as the couple left the house, looking over to Alya. They shared a knowing smile before getting ready to make their way to the restaurant.

\---

Adrien led Marinette through the streets, making small talk about their weeks, until he came to a corner and stopped. Marinette looked at him quizzically, wondering what was wrong.

“Do you remember this spot?” Adrien asked, watching Marinette’s face light up in recognition.

“This is where I crashed into you,” she whispered.

“Yep. This was the beginning of it all, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it, yo-yo hit and all,” Adrien chuckled as Marinette hid her face in embarrassment. “Come on, Clumsy Girl. We have a lot of ground to cover.”

They walked a bit further, stopping at the stadium where they had fought Stoneheart, the Eiffel Tower where Adrien had confessed his declaration to love Ladybug, no matter who she was under the mask, and finally made their way to where Master Fu’s shop used to be.

“Marinette,” Adrien began, his nerves beginning to get to him. This was it, the moment their trip down memory lane had been building to. “Four years ago, you crashed into my life and my heart and I haven’t been the same since. You have taught me what love and friendship are all about, both as Ladybug and Marinette. I can’t see my life without you in it.” He paused, dropping to one knee and pulling out a velvet box from his pocket. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you marry me?”

Marinette stood there, hands covering her mouth and tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, as she watched Adrien propose. She quickly dropped to her knees and wrapped him into a tight hug, whispering ‘yes’ over and over. Pulling out of the hug, she cupped his cheeks, wiping the tears away as they fell. “I love you, Adrien.”

He slipped the engagement ring on her finger, gently cupping her face with his other hand. “I love you, too,” he whispered before kissing her.

\---

Adrien led them to the restaurant where they were meeting their friends and family, walking on cloud nine. He had known in his heart that Marinette wanted to marry him, but he had still been nervous about the ‘what ifs.’ Now that it was over, he could finally relax and enjoy the meal they were about to have. He stepped in front of his _fiancée_ ,  _ his fiancée _ , and held the door open for her. He quickly followed her in to see her face as everyone in the restaurant turned and shouted their congratulations.

“Adrien,” Marinette gasped. “What is everyone doing here?”

“Well,” he started sheepishly. “I told my parents and had to ask your parents, of course. Then I took Alya to help pick out your ring, which led to almost everyone else knowing and before I knew it, everyone wanted to celebrate, so Father booked the restaurant and here we are.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders pulling up a bit. “Sorry if it’s too much.”

She looked up at her wonderful fiancé, a smile playing on her face. “It’s perfect, Adrien. Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Purrincess,” he muttered as he pulled her close for a kiss, much to the amusement of everyone gathered.

“You couldn’t go one day without punning, could you?” Marinette groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Nope,” he replied, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You’re a dork,” Marinette replied, swatting his chest.

“But I’m  _ your _ dork.”

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to officially thank everyone who stuck with me through this! I still can't believe the outpouring of love for this fic! You guys are the reason I fought through my writer's block and came back to this to finish it...well, that and I hate leaving things unfinished. It has truly been a honor to entertain you guys and expand my writing abilities! I have another fic that will be debuting shortly, so be on the lookout for that! Thanks again for all your support....I cannot begin to tell you how much you guys mean to me!!! Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1. I am planning on updating daily throughout July. Until tomorrow!  
> Also, check out my girl, Mereille, for her daily updates on her story, [The Water Was Never Afraid](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19441183/chapters/46270990)


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